Kolkata: East-West Metro clears critical test for Subodh Mullick Square cross-passage
Times of India | 1 May 2024
KOLKATA: KMRC has completed the critical part of construction of East-West Metro's last cross-passage below Subodh Mullick Square, without causing any ground settlement or inflicting any structural damage to the eight-storey building evacuated last Monday. At this rate, with constant grouting activity, the entire cross-passage work should be over before May end and the Esplanade-Sealdah section will move a step toward completion, officials said.
The main micro-tunnelling work, with the help of temporary support, is over. Concretizing the small tunnel rings has started and is likely to be over within three weeks, an engineer said.
On April 18, KMRC had notified, "All ... at premises no 1A Raja Subodh Mullick Square ... are hereby requested not to stay at their premises during the underground construction of cross-passage 5B, connecting east and westbound tunnels below Nirmal Chunder Street ... from 10am of April 22, 2024 to 10am of April 30, 2024 as a safety measure." Water seepage was spotted that day and the ongoing micro-tunnelling work was stopped.
The high-rise, diagonally opposite Hind Inox on Ganesh Chandra Avenue, is within the influence area of the micro-tunnelling work required to build cross-passage 5B. Engineers said its foundation was inadequate for an eight-storey structure. Hence, the precaution. The occupants of the high-rise will be allowed to return on Wednesday, officials said.
Cross-passages are small tunnels built at 250-m intervals in underground Metro lines for passengers to cross over from one of the main tunnels during emergencies like fire. KMRC had to scrap three of the eight cross-passages originally planned in the Esplanade-Sealdah section after the subsidence on Oct 14, 2022.