A total of 13 small bridges and culverts across the city will be widened as part of measures to reduce traffic congestion.
Figuring in the list prepared by the Chennai Corporation is the widening of the bridge at the Madhya Kailash junction where rush-hour traffic pile-up is common. The bridge across the Virugambakkam canal at Kaliamman Koil Street will also be widened. The Corporation is taking up the work after the police identified traffic bottlenecks that could be removed by widening bridges and culverts. Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Shakeel Akhtar said similar lists were sent to BSNL, the Highways Department and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.
Civic body officials said that in some places the roads were wider than the bridges; this leads to traffic congestion. The available road space is also not being utilised fully.
The works are being handled at the zonal level as they cost less than Rs.20 lakh each. Preliminary work has begun. The bridge and the box culvert on Anna Salai in Sastri Nagar, coming under Pulianthope Zone, would be demolished and constructed at a cost of Rs.8.63 crore.
Minor bridges on Anderson Road, Sivananda Salai and Wallajah Road are being widened. Others to be widened include Gurusamy Bridge in Egmore and culverts on Spur Tank Road, Thirumangalam Road and Powder Mills Road.
Urban Planner K.P. Subramanian said that as per Indian Roads Congress guidelines, unauthorised parking is not allowed on a stretch of 75 metres on either side of bus stops.
