Bridge construction well on course.

Construction of the new road over bridge (ROB) coming up across the railway track at Periyar Nagar on Thiruvanaikovil Trunk Road here was progressing as per schedule and it would be completed within 12 months, Collector K.S.Palanisamy said recently.

The new four-lane ROB will replace the narrow two-lane bridge that has turned a traffic bottleneck in Srirangam.

The State government has sanctioned the project at an estimate of about Rs. 47 crore. A subway has been built and thrown open to traffic.

The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, a public sector undertaking, is constructing the bridge on the railway portion. The old narrow bridge, which had emerged a major traffic bottleneck, has since been demolished. Construction is under way in full swing.

Mr.Palanisamy, who inspected the progress of the work, said the bridge would run for a distance of about 1,430 metres. The bridge would have a total width of 17.20 metres. 'So far about 30 per cent of the work has been completed and the project is well on course,” he told reporters. Acquisition of land was not a hurdle for the project and would be completed soon.

When asked about the demand from a section of residents for a straighter approach road to the subway by acquiring a private building, officials said the building site was not in the acquisition plan for the project. Highways Department officials indicated that they have planned to modify the parapet of the Cauvery bridge. The construction of the parapet along the bridge, replacing the old perforated concrete structure, had raised the hackles of conservationists and concerns of safety.

THE HINDU