The Highways Department plans to complete the road over bridge work across the railway level-crossing at Nanjundapuram by the end of December.
An official of the department told The Hindu on Friday that the Rs. 12.6-crore project was for construction of 693 metre, two-lane road across the railway level-crossing. This included 337.75 metre road on the Ramanathapuram side and 317.26 metre road on the Podanur side.
The works started more than two years ago for the main carriageway and a bridge that would be 7.5 metres wide. It involved acquisition of 3,164 sq. metre private land and 351 sq.mt Government land. The acquisition was completed only in August this year and Rs. 4.18 crore was disbursed to the land owners, the official said.
Since the land acquisition was over, the works would be expedited. The retaining walls need to be completed on either side of the road and the road work should be completed for three spans. Funds were available though there was an escalation of about Rs. 1 crore in the project cost. The project was expected to be completed in three months, the official added.
Bus services on the Ramanathapuram – Podanur – Ukkadam route, which were operated earlier, would be resumed when the works are completed, according to an official of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation.
S. Balamurali, president of the Mayflower Sakthi Garden Owners’ Association, said that the department should expedite the works so that there was no further delay in completing it.
Road users were expecting the road to be opened up for vehicles next month. The condition of the diversion road had deteriorated and it was very difficult for those travelling from Ramanathapuram to Podanur to use this road, he said.
Opening of the bridge will establish additional connectivity with Podanur and Pollachi road and will help decongest core city areas such as Big Bazaar Street, Town Hall and Ukkadam.
S. Sudarshan, Secretary of Parsn Residents Association, said that delay in constructing the service road for the bridge as it happened in the case of many other road over bridge projects will actually cause hardship to residents residing in colonies and apartments in accessing their houses.
