The rains that lash the city now have left the residents of Thiruverukadu near Koyambedu worried. The reason: the decades-old low-level bridge, which connects the neighbourhood with the rest of the city via Avadi–Poonamallee High Road (SH-55), gets inundated every time there is a downpour, forcing residents to take a detour of at least six kilometres via CTH Road.
Residents have been seeking that this bridge, which is maintained by the State Highways Department, be replaced with a high-level bridge.
Hundreds of residents from Thiruverukadu use the facility, especially school students who take this bridge to reach their institutions in Avadi and Poonamallee. Farmers also take their produce, especially during evening hours and weekends to markets in Avadi, Ambattur, Mogappair and Vanagaram for sale. The bridge serves as an alternative route for motorists who skip the congested Thiruverukadu Main Road that connects the locality with Poonamallee High (PH) Road. “The low-level bridge is the lifeline for residents in the neighbourhood as we can reach the city quickly,” says K. Veeran, a resident of Thiruverukadu.
Built across the Cooum river near a checkdam, more than four decades ago, the low-level bridge can be used by motorcyclists as well as those driving a car, autorickshaw or a van. The bridge is extremely useful in case of an emergency; accident victims can be taken to the nearest government hospitals in Poonamallee and Avadi through this bridge more quickly than via the congested Thiruverukadu Main Road that has many sharp bends.
With the neighbourhood having developed considerably, the volume of vehicles going through the bridge has also increased resulting in wear and tear of the facility. The bridge is also said to have not received much maintenance for many years. Cracks are visible at many spots. The carriageway of the bridge is uneven with many potholes and water stagnation. It also lacks street lights. “Steps will be taken to replace the bridge with a high-level bridge,” said a State Highways Department.
