T’puram: An additional tunnel access is being proposed to fast-track the underground rail link between Vizhinjam International Seaport (VISL) and Balaramapuram after prospective bidders flagged the difficulty of completing the project within the stipulated Dec 2028 deadline. The ADIT tunnel is proposed on the land of Coconut Research Station at Kattachalkuzhi near Balaramapuram, and under the land of Kerala Agricultural University.At a recent pre-bid meeting convened by Konkan Rail Corporation Ltd (KRCL), the executing agency, bidders pointed out that completing the tunnelling work within the existing timeframe would not be practically possible under the present construction arrangement. The experts estimated that the project could take at least eight years if tunnelling is carried out only from the two planned openings at Vizhinjam and Balaramapuram. The concern has prompted VISL and KRCL to explore an additional access tunnel, or adit, to accelerate construction. The engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) tender was floated by KRCL in May.“An additional adit will provide another access point for tunnelling and enable work to be taken up simultaneously from different locations,” a senior govt official associated with the project said.VISL has already approached the university seeking permissive sanction for using the land for additional tunnel access.According to the assessment made during the pre-bid discussions, the 36-month project completion is not possible because of the complexities in the construction. Later, the experts suggested that additional access could significantly reduce the construction period. While the present arrangement could require a minimum of eight years, the addition of an adit is expected to bring the construction period down to around three years, subject to the necessary approvals and execution conditions.The move assumes significance as the rail connectivity is planned to become operational around the time the ongoing capacity augmentation of Vizhinjam port under its second, third and fourth phases is completed.The proposed rail corridor has a total length of around 10.7km, with nearly 9km running through tunnels. At present, the principal tunnel openings are planned at Vizhinjam and Balaramapuram. Land acquisition at the Balaramapuram end has substantially progressed, and the project is preparing to enter the construction stage.“The immediate priority is obtaining the permissive sanction from Kerala Agricultural University for the adit. Once the permission is secured, VISL and KRCL plan to incorporate the additional access arrangement into the tender process,” the official added.A corrigendum will subsequently be issued to the tender documents, followed by further discussions with prospective bidders. The tender is expected to be revised based on the additional access arrangement before the bids are evaluated and the contractor is selected.Officials expect the process of securing permission, issuing the corrigendum, consulting bidders and finalising the revised tender to continue until the end of Oct. Only after this can the tender be finalised and construction begin.The estimated project cost has been pegged at Rs 913.77 crore for a total rail connectivity length.
