In order to have developed and smoother connectivity between the major areas of the city, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has announced to start work on the phase-2 route of Chennai Metro by mid-2020. Out of the 118.9km phase-2 metro route, work on 66.8km of the stretch is likely to begin by 2020, while construction on priority corridor of 52.01 km will start by the end of this year. The Metro officials are already in talks with international financial agencies to meet funding requirements.
According to a senior official of CMRL, we have already begun with soil testing in all the localities which falls on the stretch. These localities include Lighthouse, T Nagar and Poonamallee.
The official further informed that the soil testing work will be completed by the end of this year. Construction tenders for 52.01 km priority stretch will be floated in June 2019. For this corridor, the metro rail corporation has already signed a pact with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to meet the funding demand in December 2018. JICA has agreed to provide Rs 20,196 crore which is almost half of the complete sanctioned amount i.e. Rs Rs 40,941 crore. The first lot of Rs. 4760 has already been disbursed by the JICA. This route comprises of 57 stations from CMBT to Madhavaram and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur.
Moreover, the rest of 66.8 km stretch whose work will start by mid-2020 comprises of a total of 71 stations which will link major localities like Siruseri Sipcot, Sholinganallur, OMR, Lighthouse, Poonamallee, T Nagar, Kodambakkam, Porur, Karayanchavadi, etc. The estimated construction cost of this stretch is Rs 28000 crore and the funding will be done by leading international agencies (on whom the talks are underway), state as well as central government.
The 118.9 km long Chennai Metro Phase-2 will have a total of 128 stations which is going to link some of the poorest connected localities of the city. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 69,000 crore.