A new rail overbridge stretching more than a km on Dindigul-Manakattur Road, which would spare motorists from waiting at three level crossings, was formally thrown open for traffic on Friday.
Minister for Highways, E.V. Velu, Minister for Rural Development I. Periyasamy and Food Minister R. Sakkarapani inaugurated the bridge constructed at a cost of ₹56.25 crore at Balakrishnapuram in the presence of Dindigul Collector M.N. Poongodi.
With Dindigul being a major railway junction, railway tracks to three destinations - Palani, Karur and Tiruchi - are running very close to each other and frequent closure of the railway gates led to traffic congestion for the past many years.
The government order for construction of the bridge was given in 2011 and the technical sanction issued in 2015. The work dragged on all these years over some reason or other, including delay in land acquisition.
Though the bridge work was completed some five months back and it is being used for vehicular movement including trucks and buses, of late, the formal inauguration was held on Thursday.
The bridge, with a width of 12 metres, can be used by vehicles proceeding towards Sengurichi, Athigaripatti, Tirumalaikeni and Manakattur from Dindigul.
However, works of limited use subways and service road are yet to be completed.
Dindigul MP P. Veluchamy, MLAs I.P. Senthilkumar (Palani) and S. Gandhirajan (Vedasandur), Mayor Ilamathi Jothiprakash, Superintendent of Police V. Baskaran, Highways Chief Engineer N. Balamurugan, Superintending Engineer Jawahar Muthuraj, Divisional Engineer Prasanna Venatesan, were present.
