The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) achieved a rare feat by taking its under construction Phase III line over its existing Vaishali- Dwarka line at Karkarduma station at a record height of 21 metres above ground.

“This is among the first of such achievements in metro construction so far as Delhi Metro is poised to repeat such feats in Phase III which is slated to be completed by 2016,” a DMRC official said.

The engineering work, officials said, posed numerous challenges to civil engineers as it was done without disrupting services for even a single day on the existing line.

“This 59 kilometre-long Line 7 (Majlis Park – Shiv Vihar) is crossing the existing Vaishali- Dwarka metro alignment at Karkarduma just before the Karkarduma station at an angle of 114 degrees. DMRC had to carry out segmental erection for putting a special span of 37 metres between pier no. 254 and pier no. 255. The new line is crossing the existing (Vaishali-Dwarka) elevated line at 21 metres above the ground and is 10 metres above the existing Metro line,” an official said.

Metro officials said the elevated viaducts of Delhi Metro Phase III project will pass over the existing viaducts of the Phase I and Phase II metro corridors at four more locations. At Netaji Subhas Place the viaduct of the Majlis Park – Shiv Vihar corridor will pass over Line 1 (Rithala – Dilshad Garden).

Similarly, at Dhaula Kuan, the viaduct of the Majlis Park – Shiv Vihar corridor will pass over the Airport Express Line.

The Line 7 will also pass over Line III (Dwarka Sector 21 to NOIDA City Centre) at Mayur Vihar. At Anand Vihar, it will pass over Line IV (Yamuna Bank – Vaishali), officials said.