Although the road over bridge (ROB) at Crawford in the city was opened for traffic over three years ago, residents of the locality were sore that many of the allied works of the project remained incomplete.
The ROB was sanctioned at a cost of ₹28.58 crore, excluding the Railways’ contribution for the bridge portion over the level-crossing. The project work commenced in April 2011, but moved at a tardy pace owing to delays in land acquisition and was opened in February 2014.
The construction of the bridge was intended to ease congestion in Crawford and Edamalaipattipudur areas and provide easy access to the city from the Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway.
However, some of allied works of the project still remain incomplete. “The service road and an under pass have been built on the western side of the ROB on the Edamalaipattipudur side, but the service road work is yet to be completed on the Crawford side,” complained H. Ghouse Baig, a resident of the locality and a consumer activist.
Besides, the sub way built on the western side of the ROB is full of stagnant water and has become a mosquito breeding ground. Due to the incomplete service road, motorists were facing much difficulty and accidents are frequent, he said.
Similarly, on the Edamalaipattipudur side, the service road on the eastern side is full of pot holes and negotiating in this part of the road has become a tough task for the public. Accumulation of loose gravel and sand pose a threat to two wheeler riders.
When contacted, an official of the Highways Department, which executed the ROB project, said that work on the service road on the Crawford side would begin shortly. “Tenders were called for and the work order has been issued. The works will commence in 10 to 15 days and will be completed soon,” he said. On the water stagnation at the subway, the official said that the problem of seepage of water would also be looked into and rectified.
Residents point out that the railway gate at Anbu Nagar in Crawford has been closed for constructing a subway by the Madurai division of Southern Railway.
Moreover the street lighting is poor from Edamalaipattipudur to Ramachandra Nagar as the lamp posts are situated on the western side of the road instead of the centre median.
Hence, the eastern side is plunged in utter darkness, residents said. The lamp posts should be shifted to the centre median, they said.
