Kochi: The metro work in the fourth reach from Ernakulam South to Vytilla would be executed by Soma Constructions. The old contractor Era-Ranken, was “partially offloaded” due to its slow work.
The work has been entrusted to the agencies which are already involved in metro construction activities along the Pettah-Ernakulam south section so as to avoid re-tendering. This way there would be no escalation of costs or delay.
Soma Constructions is expected to start piling work on the 1.6-km-long South overbridge-Elamkulam reach in the next two weeks. L &T is likely to be given the work in the remaining one km stretch to Vytilla. The estimated cost of the works from South to Vytilla has been put at Rs 150 crore.
Era-Ranken will continue to do the metro work on the three km Vytilla-Pettah section, sources said.
Meanwhile, the pipe-shifting work on SA Road is nearing completion. Road widening will be taken up from Wednesday so that barricades could be erected by the end of this month.
The DMRC has requested the authorities to relay feeder roads like the STP road linking Elamkulam to K.K. Road and set up single lane traffic so as to facilitate the work.
