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Valam begins work on elevated bridge

Staff Reporter

Plan to complete it in 60 days

TIRUPUR: Work for an elevated bridge on Kangeyam Road began with the earth breaking ceremony on Tuesday.

Hundreds gathered to witness the excavator-cum-loader digging on the banks of Sangilipallam here.

Traffic diverted

Vehicular traffic on the busy Kangeyam highway was diverted.

The bridge will replace the causeway that has been a hindrance for traffic for years.

When the highways department was struggling to execute the work, as hardly any contractor had shown interest to take it up for the last one-and-a-half years, Valam, an entrepreneurs' initiative, stepped in under a unique public-Government partnership mode.

Allocation

Getting the allocation of Rs. 84 lakh from the Highways Department, Valam has come forward to take up the work at an estimated cost of Rs.1.1 crore.

The bridge with a length of 60 feet and a width of 64 feet will have four lanes. It will have a five feet pedestrian path on either side.

The chairman of Valam and president of Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA), A. Sakthivel; managing trustee of Valam, N. Krishnasamy; municipal chairman, M.N. Palanisamy; commissioner, M. Ashokan; Revenue Divisional Officer, V. Kandhavel; TEA vice-president Prem S. Duraisamy; Knit Cloth Manufacturers' Association president, Ahill S. Rathinasamy and a host of trustees and officials took part in the ceremony. Mr. Krishnasamy said they were planning to complete the work in 60 days.

Cooperation

"At the maximum we will complete the work in 90 days. We will execute the work as per the norms of Highways. All the departments are cooperating with us," he said.

A trustee of Valam from Amarjothi Garden, A. Jagadeesan, led the team to collect nearly Rs. 20 lakh in a week from residents of nearby areas.

"The public, who are enjoying the benefits of the bridge across the Noyyal by Valam at a cost of Rs.1.5 crore, are now contributing their mite overwhelmingly. We expect to collect Rs. 5 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh in a couple of days," he said.

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