Chennai Metro Rail completes tunnel between Panagal Park and Kodambakkam
In a significant stride for the Chennai Metro Rail Phase II project, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) “Peacock” (DL 1074) has successfully completed its tunnel drive between Panagal Park and Kodambakkam.
This breakthrough was achieved on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at the Kodambakkam Ramp Retrieval Shaft near Meenakshi College, Arcot Road.
The TBM “Peacock” covered a distance of 2.047 kilometers, making it the longest single tunnel drive completed so far in Chennai Metro Phase II.
The tunneling work, which began on May 2, 2024, from the Panagal Park Crossover, navigated beneath a densely populated urban environment.
This included passing under 190 buildings (over 50 of which were decades-old residential structures), two churches, the Kodambakkam Flyover, and alongside an operational railway line before crossing multiple active railway tracks.
This completed tunnel is a crucial part of Corridor 4 (Light House – Poonamallee Bypass), which spans 26.8 kilometers and includes 12 underground and 18 elevated stations.
The 10.03 km underground portion of Corridor 4, including this stretch, is being executed by ITD Cementation India Limited.