Road overbridge on Chennai Trunk Road almost ready

It will be opened for traffic in the first week of August, says Collector

Collector K. Rajamani inspecting a new road overbridge coming up across railway lines at Periyar Nagar near Thiruvanaikovil in Tiruchi on Wednesday.

The road overbridge (RoB) on Chennai Trunk Road at Thiruvanaikoil will be opened for traffic in the first week of August, according to Collector K. Rajamani.

Inspecting the progress of construction of four-lane RoB works at Thiruvanaikoil in the city on Wednesday, he said the pace of the project, which is being executed at an estimate of ₹125 crore, of which ₹.78 crore was allotted for land acquisition, was by and large satisfactory. Nearly 95% of works had already been completed.

The construction works, which began in July 2016, had reached the final stage of completion. All works pertaining to the bridge portion had been completed. Construction of approach portions of north, south and east sides of the bridge was in progress. It would be completed by July. Buses would be operated from August.

Mr. Rajamani said the bridge would have length of 1,430.28 metres and width of 17.20 meters. Trestle portion of the bridge would be 907.76 metres. The railway portion of the bridge was 45.90 metres.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, a public sector undertaking, which had taken up construction of the bridge portion across the track, had completed its works. The bridge had 48 piers and spans.

Painting works, formation of road safety equipment, erection of electric poles and construction of retaining pillars would be taken up simultaneously.

A sum of ₹78 crore had been earmarked for payment of compensation to those who offered land for the project at Thiruvanaikoil. The extent of land on Madras Trunk Road had already been demarcated. The process of settling compensation had been undertaken. Shopkeepers and residents were asked to remove the demarcated portion for facilitating road expansion.

The Highways Project Division officials would bring the demarcated portion of road under its control shortly. The project was sanctioned by the government in 2011, but construction began only in 2016. It was originally estimated to cost ₹.43 crore. But, it was revised to ₹.125 crore after taking into account the compensation component of land acquisition.