The machine was lowered in the tunnel at Jungpura shaft on September 9, 2008 and boring — done 15 or 16 metres below the surface — began on October 13.

DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal said since Nehru Stadium is the main venue for the Commonwealth Games, the Metro station there would provide connectivity to other parts of Delhi.

Another tunnel boring machine is working at present on a parallel up-line and is likely to make a breakthrough after 10 days. “Two other machines are deployed on Udyog Bhawan-Khan Market stretch. Tunneling activities on the corridor are expected to be completed by this August,” Dayal said.

The Central Secretariat–Badarpur corridor is slated for a September 2010 completion.

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Tunnel boring machines to be used for Metro’s phase-II construction

30 km
Underground section in phase-II; of this 16 km are to be built with tunnel boring machines