1st Segment Launched for Bangalore Metro’s Challegatta Extension

On January 9, a crew from IL&FS Engineering commissioned their first launching gantry crane at Nayandahalli to begin launching precast segments for building the viaduct of Bangalore Metro Purple Line’s 8.814 km western extension to Challeghatta. This milestone was accomplished by IL&FS 21 months after they won a contract to build the 3.945 km Reach 2A package of the Bangalore Metro’s 72 km Phase 2 project between Mysore Road and Pattanagere.

The western extension of the line is being built in 2 parts by IL&FS (Reach 2A) and Soma Enterprises (Reach 2B) and consists of 7 new stations at Nayandahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Bangalore University, Pattanagere, Mailasandra, Kengeri and Chellagatta (recently added). The extension’s first pier started to take shape at Nayandahalli in May 2016.

challegattametrostationmap

Map of Mysore Road – Challegatta extension – view Bangalore Metro Phase 2 map & info

Photo Copyright: Ajay Kumar

Photo Copyright: Ajay Kumar

Photo Copyright: Prakash Mukherjee

Photo Copyright: Prakash Mukherjee

Photo Copyright: Prakash Mukherjee

Photo Copyright: BMRCL

Each segment weighs 40 tons and usually 10 segments are required to build one span between two adjacent piers. Here’s my go-to video to demonstrate how the Launching Gantry works its magic with precast segments to build modern segmental viaducts and bridges:

Going forward, I’ll be posting one-off construction images on Twitter so do follow or check out my handle.

For more updates, check out the Bangalore section of The Metro Rail Guy!

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

16 Responses to "1st Segment Launched for Bangalore Metro’s Challegatta Extension"

  1. Kapil says:

    nice but why has it taken 21 months?

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      Delayed approvals from the BBMP for cutting trees is one of the reasons, but I see that affecting only the station sites and not the viaduct’s construction, which for the most part is coming up on Mysore Road’s median.

      There’s some contractor led delays involved as well. First pier started taking shape only in May 2016. Compared to other new metro construction work in India (or even Reach 4B in B’lore), IL&FS here has been the slowest so far.

      Reply
  2. Ganesh Srivastava says:

    Very happy to see work going on close to my neighborhood. When do you think they’ll open it?

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      A 2019-end opening for Reach 2A is quite possible, but let’s see what challenges come up over the course of construction.

      Reach 2B’s contract was awarded in March 2016 and as such, not even a single pier has been cast till now. I don’t see that section opening before 2020.

      Reply
  3. Icy Spicy says:

    True, the latest newsletter seems to indicate that they are starting the piling work right now in Reach 2B. While the BMRCL seems to be doing about average as an organization, their unrealistic deadlines and, defensiveness when questioned, is disturbing. Hope they are not lying to themselves and making financial projections on them. Bangalore can least afford a failed metro.

    Reply
  4. shuba says:

    I an willing to wager that this extra bit of the line will be complete and operational before the whitefield extension of the same line

    Reply
  5. Navdeep says:

    Curios to know on how how much time does it take to move from one set of piers to another.
    First set was upheld since 10th Jan night and works is still stuck on that.
    Is it going to be same for all sets?

    Reply
    • TMRG says:

      They must have run into some issue. Usually it takes anywhere from 7-10 days/span to launch segments & join them together using post-tensioning techniques. IL&FS will deploy 2-3 LG cranes to speed up work.

      Reply
      • Navdeep says:

        Thanks TMRG, now indeed its taking around 7 days for one set of piers.

        Reply
        • Bharath says:

          I Guess there will be a depot with bus station at the Challeghatta depot.. This depot would be getting directly on the 150ft road 10.7km Arterial road of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout. Am I correct?

          Reply
  6. shyam says:

    Where is the last stop of reach 2b , is it near to RR medical college or RR dental college.

    By when this will be operational as Wikipedia says the target is to complete kengeri extension till dec 2018.

    Reply

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