Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has adopted a new technology to build underground subways on busy roads without disrupting the traffic movement in Phase 3. As part of the upcoming ITO Metro station on Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate corridor,the subway is being constructed using the 'Box Pushing' technology,below the busy ITO intersection roads (Indraprastha Marg) without disturbing the traffic movement above. "The subway,after construction,will have entry and exit points near the Delhi Police Headquarters and the building of the Institute of Engineers on either side of the Indraprastha Marg," Executive Director,Corporate communications,Anuj Dayal said. As per the 'Box Pushing' technology,vertical excavation or largescale digging is not required. Six Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) boxes are pushed with the help of hydraulic jacks to create the 48-metre long subway tunnel. The boxes are being designed and constructed at the site itself. It takes about 21 days to cast one box. A thrust bed is being created to generate enough force to push the boxes with the synchronised movement of the jacks. "This method is much faster than the conventional cut-and-cover technology used generally for the construction of subways. In the case of this particular subway,had DMRC opted for the conventional cut-and-cover technology,then it would have had to excavate the road above causing great inconvenience to the movement of traffic," Dayal added. Construction started in June and will be finished by the end of September. The condition of the road above will be monitored through various types of instrumentation methods like precise levelling studs on the pavement areas,settlement markers,during the entire construction period. The under-construction ITO Metro station has six entry and exits points connecting different parts of ITO. DMRC has decided to use the technology for the construction of a number of underground subways in Phase 3. Apart from ITO,the technology will also be used for the construction of subways as well as entry/exit structures of Metro stations at Dabri Mor,Panchsheel Park,Chirag Delhi,Nehru Place (on Janakpuri West¿Botanical Garden corridor) and Bhikaji Cama Place (on Mukundpur-Shiv Vihar corridor).
