The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Civic body endorses bridge proposal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 13, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Civic body endorses bridge proposal

Staff Reporter

Suggestions of councillors, residents to be forwarded to the Government

TAMBARAM: The Tambaram Municipal Council on Wednesday gave its unanimous consent to the long-pending Road Over Bridge (ROB) project to replace the railway level crossing at the intersection of the Grand Southern Trunk Road and Mudichur and Velachery Main Roads.

At a meeting, engineers from the State Highways Department displayed the plan for the bridge and spoke to the elected representatives about the project. The councillors then okayed the plan, but not before raising some of their concerns.

S.R. Raja, Tambaram MLA, said the concerns and suggestions of the councillors and residents would be forwarded to the State Government and the possibilities of incorporating changes would be explored.

To a query from P. Jothi Kumar, councillor, Ward No. 24, Mr. Raja said the fear of people losing their land would be addressed. Arrangements for alternative land would be made. G. Vaidehi, of Ward No. 12 sought to know why such a discussion was not held prior to the building of the ROB at Tambaram Sanatorium. If this had been done, residents of East Tambaram would have protested the lack of access to the bridge from Bharatha Matha Street.

A. Janakiraman, Municipal Chairman (in-charge) said the discussion was organised to avoid such problems.

N. Krishnamoorthy of Ward No. 28 said the local body was taking steps to acquire land from the Defence Ministry to build a bus terminus in Civil Lines (adjacent to GST Road in Irumbuliyur) and wanted to know whether it was taken into account.

G. Ramalingam, assistant engineer, Highways Department, said the project received administrative sanction of Rs. 35 crores in December 2004. As per the present plan, there would be four ramps on GST Road and one each on Mudichur and Velachery Main Roads. The bridgework was taken up under the gauge conversion scheme between Chennai Beach and Tambaram.

The ROB would replace level crossing No. 30, which witnessed traffic of 3,33,900 train vehicle units (TVUs) a day, according to a survey made in April 2004. According to railway officials, TVUs was an indication of the combined road and rail traffic. If a level crossing witnessed one lakh TVUs a day, it had to be replaced with a bridge or a subway.

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

Tamil Nadu