The work to expand the capacity of the sewerage interceptor system on Police Commissioner Office Road in Egmore is unlikely to be completed as scheduled.
The project, which was to be commissioned two months ago, has hit a roadblock with the Chennai Metrowater detecting a potential risk to the drinking water pipeline running close to the alignment of the sewer line.
Following this the contractor of the work on the sewerage interceptor system proposes to shift the work to the other side of the road to avoid any disturbance to the water pipeline. Since this would involve further traffic diversions, permission from the police has been sought.
Though the digging work has been suspended on the stretch leading from Dr. Nair Bridge junction to the Pantheon Road junction, motorists are not yet allowed to use the stretch. Instead, the vehicles are being diverted through other roads such as Gandhi Irwin Road and Whannels Road.
Niraj Patel, a resident of Police Commissioner Office Road, said the work started in September last year. Even if the stretch was opened, vehicles would find it difficult to negotiate the bumpy, damaged stretch. The work, including re-laying of the stretch, must be completed soon to put an end to the detour and traffic congestion on nearby roads, he said.
Officials of Metrowater said the project was time-consuming as it involved construction of deep sewer system.
Of the 12 manholes proposed to be constructed on the 360-metre stretch on Police Commissioner Office Road, seven have been built at a depth of five to six metres covering a distance of 112 m.
It is part of additional works of Chennai City River Conservation Project executed at a cost of Rs.1.66 crore. The project covering a total distance of 900 metre till Pudupet is being implemented to strengthen the network leading to Langs Garden sewage pumping station.
The delay was due to the shifting of the work to the other side of the road.
The remaining work, up to the Pantheon Road junction, would be taken up only after approval from traffic police as the traffic bound for Dr.Nair Bridge had to be diverted, the officials said.
