L&T Wins Chennai Metro Line-4’s Porur – Poonamallee Section

Moments ago, Larsen & Toubro emerged as the lowest bidder to construct the 7.945 km elevated Package C4-ECV-02 from Porur Junction to Poonamallee Bypass of Chennai Metro’s new 26.09 km Line-4, after officials from Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) opened financial bids.

This is the second elevated package of Line-4 (Light House – Poonamallee Bypass) of the upcoming 118.9 km Chennai Metro Phase 2 project where financial bids have been opened. Besides a viaduct, it consists of 9 stations and a depot-line to a train maintenance depot at Poonamallee.

Back in December 2020, L&T was also the lowest bidder for the first package (C4-ECV-01) between Power House to Porur Junction.

CMRL had invited tenders for Package C4-ECV-02’s construction in August 2020 with a completion deadline of 36 months (3 years). Technical bids were opened in November to reveal 3 bidders.

Financial Bid Values:

Firm	Bid
Larsen and Toubro Limited (L&T)	Rs. 945.21 crore
Hindustan Construction Company Ltd. – KEC International (HCC – KEC) JV	Rs. 1007.95 crore
NCC Ltd.	Rs. 1381.47 crore

Package: C4-ECV-02

Tender Number: CMRL/PHASE II/CORRIDOR 4/C4-ECV-02

Brief Scope: Construction of Elevated Metro Stations At Construction of Elevated Metro Stations at Chennai bypass crossing, Ramachandra Hospital, Iyyapanthangal Bus Depot, Katupakkam, Kumanan Chavadi, Karayan Chavadi, Mullai Thottam, Poonamallee Bus Terminus, Poonamallee Bypass & associated viaduct from chainage 17982.240 to chainage 25928.186 and approach to depot at Poonamallee & all associated works

CMRL’s estimate is unknown at this time, so I can’t provide an assessment on how L&T’s bid is placed. For the first package, L&T’s bid was roughly 29% higher and the contract for that has still not been awarded. I hope that’s the not the case here as well.

NOTE: This is unconfirmed right now, but CMRL may have placed restrictions on contractors winning more than 1 contract for Line-4. If that’s the case, then HCC – KEC JV will be awarded this package’s construction provided their bid is within a certain range.

This section of the Line-4 will be partly financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) through a $356.65 million (approx. Rs. 2700 crore) loan. The loan’s concept review was approved on December 13, 2019, and a formal appraisal decision is currently pending.

So far CMRL has invited bids for only two sections of Line-4. A list of all Chennai Metro Phase 2 tenders (civil, systems) and their status can be viewed here.

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– TMRG