Although plans to demolish the Elephant Gate bridge near Salt Cotaurs had been drawn up to give way to a newer and wider bridge, the work on it is being delayed.
The tussle between the Railways Department and the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco), over bearing the cost for shifting the high tension power lines that pass through the bridge, has brought the demolition work to a halt. A senior official of the Southern Railway said the Elephant Gate bridge had become so dilapidated that concrete blocks had started falling on the railway tracks.
When the Railways Department took up the issue of shifting the power lines with Tangedco, they were informed that they would have to bear the cost for shifting the power lines, since Electricity Act, 2003, does not have any provision to bear the shifting cost. A senior Tangedco official said the electricity lines passing through the bridge were high tension power lines of 230 kilo volt (KV) and 110 KV capacity, conveying power from Manali to the heart of the city. Moreover, shifting these power lines would involve huge costs and space.
The issue is planned to be sorted out by organising a high-level meeting between both the government departments, a senior Tangedco official said.
