First cross arm placed at Patna Metro's Patliputra Bus Terminal Station

Patna, India (Metro Rail Today): The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC), which is the nodal agency for the Patna Metro rail project, has successfully installed the first "cross arm" at Patliputra bus terminal (PBT) station on Bypass Roadunder the priority corridor being constructed between Malahi Pakri and PBT.

The precast concrete structure will be used to extend the length of the metro station and support the entire station upon its long protruding arms.

The 6.6-km-long priority corridor, which is the elevated section of Corridor II (Patna Junction-PBT), will have five stations - Malahi Pakri, Khemnichak, Bhootnath, Zero Mile and PBT. Over cross arm, piers will be constructed to support both the concourse level and the platform structures of the elevated stations.

The concourse platform will have ticket counter, waiting area, information kiosk, announcement system, check in/out, food space, outlets, elevators and staircases to reach station platform.

The cross arms will be placed at both sides of the metro station. "Around 8-9 cross arms will be used at PBT metro station. Altogether 40-45 cross arms will be placed under the priority corridor, which is targeted to be ready by 2025. Each cross arm is 15.82-m-long and weighs 140 metric tonne," said a DMRC official, TOI reported.

"The pre-cast structure will save time in construction and ensure better quality. After casting these structures at the casting yard, they are brought to THE site and launched with the help of high-capacity cranes or launchers," the official added.

Apart from metro station, civil work has been going on in full swing for the installation of u-girders, which are precast and pre-tensioned structures on which rail tracks for metro rail can be placed as per the timeline. Of 308 u-girders, around 50 have been placed for the elevated network.

Senior officers of DMRC conducted a joint inspection on the new bypass of Patna Metro Rail Project in Corridor I and II. After inspection, in the light of instructions, pier casts from PN-86 to P-79 have been removed and restored after cleaning the drain area. Apart from this, the rest of the places where the construction of pier casting is going on, those places have also been directed to be restored within a given time frame.

The estimated cost of Patna Metro Rail project is Rs 13,365 crore (excluding land acquisition cost which will be borne by the state government).

Twenty per cent of the project cost will be borne by the state government, 20% by the Centre and the remaining 60% will be borrowed as loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).