Work on the road over bridge over the Uppar drain connecting Kamaraj Salai from Balaji theatre junction to Newtone theatre on Maraimalaiadigal Salai is expected to be completed by the end of 2017, a senior official in the Public Works Department has said.
Works began in February this year and the schedule for completion is 21 months. But, the PWD has planned to complete the work before the stipulated time. The road over bridge which is said to be the first of its kind in the city will connect Kamaraj Salai and Maraimalai Adigal Salai with a concrete road over the Uppar drain, the main carriageway for sewage and rain water.
“Though the project was conceived in 2007 the work was suspended in 2008 owing to administrative reasons and non-availability of funds. The project cost has now been revised to Rs.43.15 crore and will be funded by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO),” the official said.
The 7.3-km-long bridge will have a two-lane road with 7.5-m carriage way for vehicles and 1.5 m raised footpaths on either side with service ducts below the footpath. Over 80 per cent of the pile foundation has been completed and the works are progressing as per schedule.
The over bridge on completion would reduce traffic congestion from Kamaraj Salai to Maraimalai Adigal Salai. The PWD has also proposed to extend the bridge from Newtone Theatre to Colas Nagar in Uppalam in the second phase. The location of a railway line on the stretch remains a bottle neck and the PWD is planning to do a survey for the second phase.
Earlier, DMK MLA and party unit organiser (South) R. Siva inspected the progress of construction of the over bridge and appealed to the authorities to expedite the works.
