Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru on Wednesday said the Elephant Gate bridge work is expected to be completed by July this year.
After inspecting the ongoing construction work with senior officials from Greater Chennai Corporation, he said the completion of the work depended on shifting 46 families who resided near the bridge. The families would be provided accommodation in alternative locations.
The railway over bridge is being constructed after the demolition of the British era bridge. Though steps were initiated more than 10 years ago for the reconstruction of the bridge, it was demolished only in May 2020 due to delays caused by various factors. Shifting power transmission lines that passed along the bridge was one among them.
It was being constructed by the Southern Railway and the Greater Chennai Corporation with the former carrying out the work above the railway tracks and the latter on both sides of the bridge.The Minister said the present contract awarded by the Corporation for the work would end in July.
A senior official from the Corporation said the new alignment proposed for the bridge warranted the shifting of the families who were residing there for many years. The enumeration work to collect details of the families had been completed.
Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekar Babu, GCC Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi and GCC Regional Deputy Commissioner (North) M. Sivaguru Prabakaran were present during the inspection.
Mr. Nehru also laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new Urban Primary Health Centre in Tirupalli Street, Royapuram zone, on Wednesday.
