Progress on the Metro Blue Line connecting the city’s Silk Road to Bengaluru International Airport is raising concerns about meeting project deadlines. According to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) tender, three companies—Afcons, SNC, and NCC—were tasked with completing the civil works by this year. However, current observations cast doubts on the possibility of meeting this deadline.
The three companies are divided into specific sections for the project. NCC is handling the work in three phases, while Afcons and SNC are working in one phase each. An official attributed the delay to the two-year impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and heavy rainfall in 2022, disrupting the project timeline.
Afcons, responsible for civil works from Reshme Mandali to Kodibeesanahalli (Devarabisanahalli), has completed pillar work and installed 65% of pillar caps and 40% of U-girders. Originally tendered in May 2021 with a deadline extending to June this year, completion estimates now suggest a potential delay of another year.
Similarly, Shankaranarayan Construction (SNC), managing work from Kodi Beesanahalli (Devarabisanahalli) to KRpur, has achieved 90% completion in pillar work and 75% in pillar caps and U-girder installation. Despite being awarded the tender in October 2020 with a 27-month timeline, the project’s status remains uncertain.
Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC) manages 37 km of the project in three phases, with 75% pillar and 50% pillar cap installation. However, meeting the December 2024 deadline is uncertain. The Blue Line spans 58.19 km in two phases, with concerns over timely civil work completion.
