The Perambur flyover will be opened by the first week of March, Deputy Chief Minister M.K.Stalin said here on Sunday.
“Most of the work has been completed. It will be inaugurated either in the last week of February or in the first week of March by Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi,” Mr.Stalin said.
The Deputy Chief Minister announced this after inaugurating a pair of lifts at the foot overbridge on Nungambakkam High Road, making it the first such facility in the city.
The Rs.68-crore Perambur flyover, on commissioning, will be a crucial link reducing the travel time for thousands of people who commute to and from north Chennai localities. A park is also being built on either sides of the flyover, Mr. Stalin added.
Though work to construct the flyover began in 1999, it was stopped a year later on account of weak sub-soil. A fresh design was drawn up by experts and the work order was issued in May 2008 and work commenced in December 2008.
“More lifts and foot overbridges will be installed in the city,” said Mr.Stalin. A FOB with lifts would be installed on Taluk Office Road, Saidapet, at a cost of Rs.94 lakh and two more such facilities would be installed at a cost of Rs.94 lakh each on Wallajah Road near the new Assembly complex, he said.
Work on improving the FOB on Nungambakkam High Road began in July. The capacity of the lift car is 15 persons.
The 18-metre-long bridge connects the two 5.5-metre-high structures housing the lift. A Corporation employee would provide assistance to the users.
Mr. Stalin also inaugurated two sculptures of cultural significance – a sculpture of Therukoothu on Sterling Avenue, Nungambakkam and Puliattam sculpture on Sardar Patel Road, Adyar. Four more sculptures would be installed within a month.