Thiruvanaikovil subway to be opened.

The newly-built limited-use subway adjoining the road overbridge that is being reconstructed on Thiruvanaikovil Trunk Road in the city is finally set to be opened soon.

However, residents of Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil, who were demanding the early opening of subway, started using the subway since Wednesday evening. Civic activists, residents and members of traders organisations had even staged a protest on Sunday demanding the opening of the subway. While the Highways Department claimed that some finishing works were to be done, motorists started plying through the subway rather than take a detour as per the traffic diversions in force.

Traffic diversions were enforced in view of the reconstruction of the bridge since the first week of July after the old narrow bridge on the Thiruvanaikovil Trunk Road was closed for traffic. The police had announced that the diversions would be in force for seven weeks until the subway was constructed. The subway was expected to be opened by August 15. However, the work overshot the deadline.

Two-wheelers and light vehicles would be allowed to go via the subway one way. This is expected to considerably ease traffic congestion caused in other parts of Srirangam since the closure of the old bridge. However, heavy vehicles such as lorries will not be allowed to use the subway and a height-restricting barricade has been fixed to prevent such vehicles from entering the subway.

The new four-lane ROB project was sanctioned a few years back at an estimate of Rs.47 crore. The Highways Department had to wait for the completion of the Odathurai Road overbridge so that traffic could be diverted through it. Subsequently, construction of the subway was taken up first to ease the traffic congestion. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited is executing the project on the railway portion of the ROB.

Sources in the Highways Department said that the subway would be opened officially for traffic on Saturday and it would remain closed on Friday for cleaning works.

THE HINDU