Dilip Buildcon Launches Bhopal Metro’s 1st Segment

Workers from Dilip Buildcon Ltd. on Friday launched their first 8.5 meter wide precast segment for building the elevated viaduct of Bhopal Metro Phase 1 project’s 6.225 km Package-01 connecting Subhash Nagar with AIIMS.

Package-01 is the first section of Bhopal Metro’s 14.99 km Line-2 (Karond Circle – AIIMS) for which Dilip Buildcon commenced work in early 2019 through a Rs. 247.06 crore contract awarded by the Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Co Limited (MPMRCL) in October 2018 with a completion deadline of 27 months.

The segment, with a weight of roughly 60 MT, was launched between Piers 144-145 near Kendriya Vidyalaya Station on Hoshangabad Road. Launching activities using a double-nosed crane will continue northward towards Subhash Nagar.

Besides the elevated viaduct between Subhash Nagar – AIIMS, Dilip Buildcon will also be constructing an entry/exit ramp to Jinsi Depot where trains will be stabled and maintained. Stations en-route will be built under a different civil package and be located at Shubhash Nagar, Kendriya Vidyalaya, DB City Mall, Sangam Cinema, Himansarovar / Habibganj Station, Habibgang Naka, Alkapuri Bus Stand and AIIMS.

Package-01 of Line-2: Subhash Nagar – AIIMS – view Bhopal Metro info & route map
The project’s first segment was cast in November 2019. This is not necessarily the same one launched on Friday – Photo Copyright: SK Jana

Casting works at Dilip Buildcon’s yard resumed in June after the COVID-19 related lockdown had suspended works for over 2 months – view some images here.

Double nosed launching gantry being setup in mid-SeptemberPhoto Copyright: Mayank Chaurasia
1st segment shot enroute to the launch site – Photo Copyright: Vikram Pangal
Photo Copyright: Vikram Pangal
Going up! Photo Copyright: Mayank Chaurasia

While this is an encouraging development, it’s terribly late as this feat was accomplished at month number 23 against this package’s 27 month deadline.

Things for the rest of Phase 1 aren’t that great either with MPMRCL’s tender page being bare with no sense of urgency being displayed by any stakeholder. Since 2018 they’ve invited tenders (bids) for only one civil package of the line despite securing a €400 million (appox. Rs 3430 crore) loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for which a formal agreement was signed on December 20, 2019.

Besides, I just don’t see the same level of effort (public relations, social media outreach, resident feedback events) being put into the project as other newer organizations, such as Maha-Metro or UPMRCL, put in during their nascent stages of project construction.

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

– TMRG

written by

Global traveler who prefers mass rapid transit

2 Responses to "Dilip Buildcon Launches Bhopal Metro’s 1st Segment"

  1. Hsg says:

    Navi Mumbai kab operational hogi

    Reply
    • Clevin Gomes says:

      Pehle CIDCO ne bataya tha ki vo Navi Mumbai metro ko August,2020 me inaugurate karenge, but COVID 19 ke vajase, project once again delay ho gya hai. Abhi tak CIDCO ne Koi deadline nahi diya hai, but progress ko dekhte hue, mujhe lagta hai ki ab Navi Mumbai Metro ya toh Dec,2020 or Mid 2021 ko hi Operational hoga.

      Reply

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