Bhubaneswar: The first phase of the Bhubaneswar metro rail project will be completed by December, 2027, authorities revealed today.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC, the coordinator of the project, has initiated soil testing for the mega project.
The authorities have also started deep excavation near Patia in the city here for construction of a metro station as part of the project.
The first phase of metro rail project will link the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in the city here with Trisulia Square in Cuttack.
As many as 20 elevated stations will be constructed for the 26-km-long metro line. The mega project will be implemented with an expenditure of Rs 6,255.94 crore, entirely borne by the state government.
The route map of the Bhubaneswar metro project:
The entire metro line from BPIA to Trisulia will be on a 13-metre-high elevated corridor. The authorities have planned to procure 13 metro rails with three coaches each for the project. The metro trains will run from both directions at an interval of 10 minutes.
The authorities are excavating around 50 to 60 feet deep for soil testing before the commencement of the construction work. The foundation design of the project will be finalized after the completion of the soil testing work in around two months.
According to the authorities, the construction of the metro depot at Phulapokhari near Trisulia is going on simultaneously.
The depot is being constructed on 16 hectares of land at an estimated cost of Rs 104.74 crore.