The flyover across the Katpadi railway gate in Villupuram was finally thrown open to public on Wednesday with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami declaring it open through video conferencing. Built at a cost of ₹34.75 crore, the flyover connects Villpuram town with the bypass.
Villupuram District Collector L. Subramanian formally opened the flyover. Work on the project was started in November 2014 but faced several hurdles right from the word go. The work went much beyond the deadline of November 2016 because of several problems, technical issues and the location of a sewer line beneath the structure. The slow pace of work on the stretch added to the delay and caused cost escalation.
Traffic diverted
When the work began, the railway gate was closed and traffic on the Villupuram-Chennai stretch was diverted to facilitate the construction of the flyover.
An official said the opening of the flyover would come as a huge relief for motorists in Villupuram as it would provide quick and easy access to vehicles bound to Vellore, Chennai and Thirukkanur in Puducherry.
