Two road over-bridges (ROB) in Eachanari and Irugur, both in Coimbatore city, were among a host of rail over-bridges and high-level bridges which were thrown open to the public on Monday.
Through videoconferencing, at an event at the Secretariat, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa inaugurated the facilities, all numbering 14 and costing Rs. 202.54 crore.
Built at a cost of Rs. 13 crore, the ROB in Eachanari was completed six months ahead of the scheduled period of execution, according to an official release.
The bridge would ease traffic and reduce the duration of travelling time for all those including school and college students coming to Coimbatore from areas such as Palani, Udumalpet, Pollachi, Valparai and Kinathukadavu. Another ROB had come up in Irugur at a cost of Rs. 21.10 crore.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for an additional two-lane bridge in Ganapathi within the city limits of Coimbatore on NH-209, popularly called Coimbatore-Sathyamangalam road. The proposed bridge would cost about Rs. 20 crore.
As for the other facilities, ROBs had been built in Urapakkam of Kancheepuram district (cost: Rs. 29.68 crore); Manaparai of Tiruchi (Rs.28 crore); Tenkasi of Tirunelveli (Rs. 24.5 crore); Tiruparunkundram of Madurai (Rs. 22 crore); Dindigul (Rs.17.65 crore) and Ulundurpet of Villupuram (Rs.11.7 crore). In Nerkundram here, a high-level bridge had been constructed across the Cooum at a cost of Rs. 16.04 crore.
Laid at a cost of Rs. 14 crore, a 3.6-km-long bypass for Dharapuram town in Tirupur district was thrown open to the traffic.
The Chief Minister also declared open travellers’ bungalows and other buildings of the State Highways Department, all estimated to cost Rs. 2.87 crore.
Sports facilities commissioned
Ms. Jayalalithaa also commissioned through video conferencing a number of facilities for sportspersons in Chennai city, developed at a total cost of around Rs. 17.80 crore.
The facilities included a new eight-track synthetic race training track near the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, a football ground, tracks for athletic events, hostel for sportspersons and facilities for media persons.
The synthetic track has been developed at a cost of Rs. 3 crore and the football ground created at a cost of Rs. 47.50 lakh.
Two lifts and a synthetic track for the indoor stadium had also been developed. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for a hostel for sportspersons that would come up at an estimated cost of Rs. 3 crore.
Facilities for a media centre and for women sportspersons were also inaugurated.
