Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Work gets under way for new bridge across Noyyal

V.S. Palaniappan

For long life RCC will be used; to have pedestrian way on either side Once the work is over, it will be a smooth ride to the city on Tiruchi for motorists residing in residential areas along this stretch.

IN PROGRESS: A Reinforced Cement Concrete four-lane bridge under construction at the Kamatchipuram checkpost on Tiruchi Road on the outskirts of the city. - Photo: M. Periasamy

COIMBATORE: The National Highways Department has commenced work for construction of bridge across the Noyyal river at Kamatchipuram on Tiruchi Road estimated at Rs. 2 crores.

At present there is a 75-year old brick arch bridge measuring only sevent mts width, which calls for not only widening but also renovation.

This bridge, which lies close to the city border, struggles to handle the heavy inflow of traffic especially during peak hours. By virtue of being a National Highway (NH 67), the road has substantial heavy vehicle traffic.

Divisional Engineer of National Highways S. Mohammed Rahamatullah and Assistant Divisional Engineer R. Krishnakumar said that two-lane bridges would be constructed and each bridge would have a width of 10.35 mts. It will have a pedestrian way on either side.

The NH would use Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) from the foundation stage for long life and strength.

The work in this connection had commenced and was going on for at least 12 hours a day. There are 27 lampposts and one transformer that are impeding pace of work.

These posts had been erected along the boundaries of the narrow bridge and with the proposed widening these posts were found to be on the middle of the carriage way and not along the extreme boundaries of the NH. These posts are located within the jurisdiction of the Irugur and Odderpalayam panchayat.

Government Order

The National Highways had already written to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board for shifting the same.

The Board had estimated that Rs. 5 lakh would be the cost for shifting these lampposts and transformer.

Recently, the State Government issued a GO stating that the cost for shifting these posts would rest on the local bodies in respect of Corporations and Municipalities and in the case of fund-starved local bodies, it was for the TNEB to bear the cost of shifting these posts.

Once the bridge work is over, the road from Bypass road junction to the bridge site would also be taken up for renewal and the NH authorities have plans to complete renewal of another one km stretch that extends between the Bridge and the Ondipudur rail over bridge.

Right from Ondipudur to the Stock Exchange, the NH was already in the process of finalising tenders for relaying the road at an estimate of Rs. 10 crores.

The work is expected to commence soon after the North East monsoon exits.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Work gets under way for new bridge across Noyyal
Women farmers take up scientific storage of foodgrains
Child with congenital cataract operated upon successfully
Elected to Coimbatore Press Club
In Coimbatore Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu