The lamps on the tall posts on the Alandur bridge (which connects Saidapet with Guindy Industrial Estate) and its service lanes have a problem — they don’t have bulbs. Some of the bulbs are broken; some have “gone missing”.
As a result, pedestrians carry a torch with them while walking on the bridge. Motorists rely on the headlights of their vehicles to ensure their safe passage on the bridge.
“I have not seen many pedestrians walking on the bridge after sunset,” says K. Vedachalam, a resident of Saidapet.
The Alandur bridge was built after a long battle waged by residents of this region, which includes Saidapet, Guindy, Ekkatuthangal, Jafferkhanpet and CIT Colony. This bridge enables them to reach GST Road in Guindy quickly.
During the 2015 floods, this bridge, which was inaugurated in 2009, spared many residents in the region inundation from a swelling Adyar river and provided them with safe connectivity to other parts of the city via Guindy. Earlier, before the new bridge was built, a low-lying bridge was in existence for many decades and it often got submerged during monsoon due to the influx of the Adyar river. Despite the many benefits it brings, the bridge is denied regular maintenance. Electric wires on the lampposts are hanging. Sand that has accumulated on the bridge has not been cleared for months, making it difficult for motorists.
Residents say some miscreants have damaged the street lamps to steal aluminium and copper materials. Residents and motorists however want Greater Chennai Corporation, which maintains the bridge, to install modern LED street lamps and maintain the bridge regularly.
“Our senior officials at Ripon Buildings have to sanction sufficient funds for the regular maintenance of the bridge,” says a Corporation official.
