After a delay of over five months, the work to channel surplus water from the Virugambakkam-Arumbakkam canal to the Cooum resumed at Koyambedu this week.
A sign has been put up on the crowded Koyambedu flyover junction to guide motorists towards the flyover instead of the service lane where the work is in progress.
Motorists from Poonamallee High Road proceeding to Koyambedu and Vadapalani have to travel an additional km on the flyover and join traffic from Anna Nagar towards Koyambedu. No traffic problems have been reported.
“We were waiting for permission from the police to interlink the constructed portions on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai and link the diversion channel to the Cooum. We plan to complete this portion of the work in a month,” said an official of the Water Resources Department (WRD).
The WRD is also carrying out small portions of work to build a diversion channel on the premises of the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus in Koyambedu and the Chennai Metrowater office. The Rs. 30-crore project to prevent water logging in Koyambedu was to end by September.
Of the total distance of 2,400 m, work has been completed on a stretch of nearly 1,900 m. The department plans to tackle the challenging task of constructing the channel intersecting the busy Koyambedu junction with modern technology. “Instead of building the channel on-site, we plan to place fully constructed boxes at night so traffic is not hampered. About 100 blocks will be placed,” another official explained.
Once the permission is obtained, the work will be completed by March.
Traffic diversions are in place near the flyover junction; motorists heading to Koyambedu and Vadapalani have to travel one km extra
