A three-lane bridge next to to the Thiru Vi Ka Bridge across the Adyar river should be ready in a year's time, according to officials of the Highways Department.
Work on the new bridge is expected to start by June; bids have been received from contractors for the Rs.13-crore project and are under consideration.
The new bridge, which will be 300 metres long and 11 metres wide, will be higher than the existing bridge, and it will come up in the space between Thiru Vi Ka bridge and an old bridge that is not in use anymore.
On completion, it should ease traffic congestion on the stretch, which is now choked with vehicles during rush hour.
Heavy traffic
A. Ismail, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, who commutes to work to Royapettah every day, said he avoids the Adyar bridge in the evenings as traffic is heavy even as late as 8 p.m.
“It starts from Sathya Studios and extends beyond the Adyar bus terminus. I don't mind taking a roundabout route and instead go via Kotturpuram and Madhya Kailash. In the mornings, the police have made a good arrangement and they open an additional lane but they are unable to do so in the evenings.”
In 2005, a new two-lane bridge was proposed at a cost of Rs.9 crore.
“Based on a traffic study subsequently, we decided to go for a three-lane bridge,” an official said.
He said that a fruit and flower shop complex and public convenience belonging to the Chennai Corporation would be demolished to make way for the approach road to the new bridge.
An amount of Rs.29 lakh would be paid to the civic body for reconstruction of the structures.
