Four years after the foundation stone was laid for the construction of a foot-over-bridge from the southern end of the railway station over Rajaji Salai, to enable commuters to reach the Chennai Beach railway station safely, the project is still mired in uncertainty.
Officials cite political reasons for the delay in the construction of the FOB, estimated at Rs. 52 lakh.
As per the plan, one of the ramps will begin near State Bank of India’s new building complex. The 33-metre-long bridge will connect to the existing foot-over-bridge inside the Beach station after crossing the row of shops on Burma Bazaar. After displaying some hesitation initially, the Southern Railway asked the civic body to go ahead with the project. Change of government is said to be a reason for the slow progress of the project.
At present, the Southern Railway has an FOB inside the Beach railway station to help commuters to cross the platforms and also to reach the entrance of the station from the platforms. Once the commuters come to the entrance through the foot over bridge, they have to cross Rajaji Salai.
A traffic policeman from the North Beach police station helps pedestrians cross the stretch in the morning. During evening , pedestrians are made to cross the stretch on their own .
“I have made repeated requests to the civic body, railways and also filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at the Madras High Court. But, the civic officials are yet to re-start the project,” said S. Venugopal, a resident of Villivakkam and an advocate at the Madras High Court.
Corporation officials say the width of Rajaji Salai, especially near the railway station, is less. Erection of steel beams for the FOB would be difficult. “Land from both sides of the stretch should be acquired for the project and that remains the challenge,” the official said.
