Two-way traffic flow might have been restored at Kodambakkam bridge, but some commuters are unhappy about having to take a stretch that is still incomplete.
The remaining portion of the repair work on the 50-year-old bridge will be carried out only after the Chennai Corporation’s engineers devise a plan to reduce inconvenience to motorists as a result of the work. The initial deadline for completion of the work on strengthening the bridge was February. Some wonder why the bridge should be opened for two-way traffic when work on one stretch is incomplete.
M.K. Marthamuthu, a yoga teacher who takes the bridge six to seven times a day, says the incomplete bridge poses danger to motorists. “One portion of the wall is demolished and in the centre you see many potholes. Allowing two-way movement during the peak hours threatens the safety of motorists,” says the resident of Arumbakkam. He thinks two-way traffic should have been restored on the bridge only after the work was completed.
The flyover is an arterial link to areas such as Ashok Nagar, Vadapalani, Virugambakkam. Many other residents say that once the work resumes, traffic diversionswill only create more confusion among motorists.
In connection with the work on the remaining stretch, R. Govindaraj, secretary, Kodambakkam Exnora, suggests that it must simultaneously start from the two ends. “Rather than doing one pillar at a time, work must start from both the ends.”
