Work on Thiruvanaikovil bridge gathers pace.

Construction of a new road over bridge (ROB) across the railway track at Periyar Nagar on Thiruvanaikovil Trunk Road in the city has gathered pace and is expected to be completed early next year. However, much depends on completion of land acquisition as service roads have to be laid on either side of the bridge before work on the approach roads can be taken up.

The project was sanctioned by the government in 2011, but construction began only last year. The four-lane ROB, being executed at an estimated ₹47 crore, had to be put on hold as the Highways Department had to await completion of the ROB on Odathurai Road to allow diversion of traffic towards Chennai Bypass Road. Although the ROB on Odathurai Road was opened in February last, work at Periyar Nagar ROB was deferred due to Assembly elections.

The new four-lane ROB will replace the narrow two-lane bridge, which had turned into a traffic bottleneck in Srirangam. The old bridge has since been demolished. A subway has been built and thrown open to traffic alongside the new bridge.

Work has gathered pace over the past few months, with about 55% of the main structure completed, sources in the Highways Department say. The bridge, which is being constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, a public sector undertaking, will run for a distance of about 1,430 metre and have a width of 17.20 metre. About 10,000 sq mt of land is to be acquired on both sides – towards Thiruvanaikovil and Mambazhasalai.

The process of land acquisition is being pursued by the Revenue Department, the sources said. Once the land is made available, service roads will be laid to facilitate diversion of traffic and construction of the approach roads on either side will begin. The project is scheduled to be completed by January 2018, but going by available indications it is likely to be completed by March or April next.

THE HINDU