The technical bid for final 3.6km stretch of New Garia-Airport Metro corridor was opened on Monday (24th August 2020). Four contractors submitted bids to build the Rs 527-crore Metro corridor from City Centre to Airport – elevated viaduct, two stations and small underground stretch – to merge with the Noapara-Barasat line at airport.
Afcons Infrastructure, ITD Cementation India, Gulermak, STS-KEC JV are four infrastructure development firms that participated in bidding. The bids will now undergo technical evaluation for selection of a technically qualified contractor. The chosen contractor will get 36 months to complete the final leg of the project.
Originally the alignment was supposed to run along the VIP Road and turn towards airport. But the project, being executed by RVNL, came to a halt following the state’s apprehension of major chaos for vehicles to and from airport. The alignment would have also clashed with the PWD flyover project.
To salvage the project, the state approached Airports Authority of India (AAI) for parting with 950 metres land along its periphery. AAI agreed, but the cost-effective changes required sanction from the Railway Board. The board, after examining the case, approved the material modification. The contractor needs to construct viaduct, ramp and underground RCC Box (in cut and cover and box pushing method).
The contractor also needs to construct two stations – Rabindra Tirtha and VIP Road – with all allied works like architecture, electrical, mechanical, heating and ventilation, air condition, fire detection and suppression and public health engineering. Once this is ready, the integration of New Garia-Airport line can be done with the Noapara-Barasat line at airport station.