The work on the limited use subway undertaken by the Salem Railway Division near Vazhappadi on the Salem – Vridhachalam section is progressing at a fast pace.
Despite facing severe financial constraints, the Salem Railway Division is constructing this subway from its own funds, without burdening the state government and the local body.
As per its plan of eliminating all the unmanned level crossings by 2018, the Salem Railway Division launched the sub-way construction work near the Kaliamman Nagar in Vazhappadi town two months ago. As the traffic crossing this area was limited, the Railways decided to go for limited use sub-way, instead of the road over-bridge.
Petition submitted
Initially it was planned to construct a subway of 3.6 m x 3.6 m measurement, which was good enough for the normal small vehicles to cross with much ease. But the local people demanded a little wide and spacious sub-way and submitted a petition in this regard to the higher authorities.
Following this, Hari Shankar Verma, Divisional Railway Manager, ordered to increase the width and height of the sub-way to 4.5 m x 4.5 m. and the construction works were undertaken to the altered plan. The sub-way works had already been completed and the work of laying the approach road is in progress at present.
Meanwhile, the local people once again recently complained that their plea for a much wider sub-way was not taken into consideration. They threatened to launch agitation if their demand was not conceded
When contacted, the railway sources said that this was the maximum size of the limited use sub-way as per the Indian Railway norms. The medium size vehicles could easily pass through the sub-way without any difficulty. The construction of road over bridge here is ruled out, as the vehicular traffic is not so high.
The works on this project is expected to be completed within three months.
