Seven busy roads across the city will soon get foot overbridges with escalators. The State Highways Department has called for expression of interest from consultants for preparing a detailed project report.
An FOB each has been proposed on Velachery Bypass Road near the Metrowater filling station; on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai near Anna Nagar West depot junction; and near DG Vaishnav College on EVR High Road, Arumbakkam. Two FOBs would come up on GST Road – one near MEPZ and the other near Tambaram Taluk Government Hospital, Chromepet; similarly, on Taramani Link Road one near the Perungudi Road junction and the other at the TCS junction.
Highways Department officials said the decision on the FOBs was taken as the number of pedestrians crossing the roads near the proposed locations was on the increase. Besides preparing the cost estimates, the consultant has to study the traffic at the junctions and the number of pedestrians using them during rush hour as part of the detailed project report.
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“We will insist on public consultation before preparing the report to incorporate the suggestions of the residents and road users,” an official said.
The FOB projects would be executed under the World Bank-funded Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project-III. Work order for the project is expected to be issued by March or April next year and FOBs would be ready by end of next year, officials said.
Such facilities are needed at traffic signals on arterial roads that allow traffic to flow for more than 180 seconds, the official said.
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The project was conceived based on the recommendations of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.