Residents push for speedy work on PWD canal in Velachery

People say work on drainage along with flyover is affecting pedestrians

As work on the ₹108-crore flyover at Velachery progresses, residents who are inconvenienced by the construction want the PWD canal work to be completed soon. Work on the canal is progressing simultaneously with the construction of the flyover.

At present, pedestrians, including children who have to reach a school in Sarathy Nagar from Vijayanagar and Dandeeswaram areas, have to take a narrow path near the canal.

Schoolchildren hit

Velachery resident S. Kumararaja said, “Parents and children jump over a trench and take a narrow path. Two-wheeler riders cannot use that passage. This is because the pillars of the flyover on Velachery-Taramani Road have been constructed adjacent to the canal which is open in many places. There is no space for pedestrians.” Highways Department officials said they will check if the access to the school has been affected.

With work proceeding simultaneously on a large drain and the flyover on the road, traffic jams have become common, residents said. “At least in locations where work near the pillars have been completed, the Highways Department must clear the construction materials. There is only one lane space available and it is causing havoc. Those who know the locality are taking the interior roads to avoid traffic jams,” said S. Saraswathi, a resident.

Sources in the Highways Department said with all the piers on the Taramani Road side constructed, nearly 30% of the project has been completed. Though they have time till December 2018 to finish the project that has two levels, they are trying to expedite the work so that when it comes to the obligatory spans (the ones over the junctions), they can afford to take their time.

Both the flyovers would allow one-way traffic and have two lanes each. The first level that will take off from Velachery Bypass Road and land on the road to Tambaram near the Velachery MRTS station will be 640 m long. It would land around 190 m ahead of the MRTS bridge. The second-level flyover, at a height of 15 m, would run from Taramani Link Road to Velachery Bypass Road and would be 1,200 m long.