The Hindu - Tamil Nadu 01.08.2009
Road overbridge at Perambur Loco Works by January
Staff Reporter
| Foundation stone laid; the project will be implemented at the cost of Rs. 8.41 crore |
Photo: S.S. Kumar 
NEW FACILITY: The proposed ROB will come up near the existing road overbridge in Perambur Loco Works Station in Chennai. —
CHENNAI: Southern Railway General Manager M.S. Jayanth on Friday said that the construction of an additional road overbridge (ROB) at Perambur Loco Works will be completed by January 2010, ahead of the March 2010 deadline.
Speaking at the foundation-stone-laying ceremony of the Rs. 8.41-crore project, he said that the Loco Works figured in the list of suburban railway stations that would be upgraded under the Adarsh Railway Station programme.
Union Minister for Textiles Dayanidhi Maran, who laid the foundation stone for the ROB, underscored the need for the Chennai Corporation and Southern Railway to coordinate and construct the facility ahead of the deadline.
The need for the facility was one of the long-pending demands of the residents of Perambur.
The proposal to construct an additional bridge alongside the existing facility was made in 2004, at the cost of Rs. 4.50 crore. However, because of delays the cost had escalated to Rs.9.5 crore before the election.
Subsequently, because of a reduction in prices of construction material it had come down to Rs. 8.41 crore.
Chief Administrative Officer of Southern Railway R. Ramanathan said the existing bridge, which was 4.3 m wide, was over 50 years old and was not enough considering the increase in the number of vehicles.
Work on 12 bridges under way
In Chennai division of Southern Railway, a total of 35 bridges are to be constructed this year, of which work on 12 had already begun.
The others were delayed on account of various reasons, including the need for shifting of utility lines, land acquisition, speed restriction of trains and diversion of traffic, he added.
Mayor M. Subramanian said that the proposed ROB would be 4.5 m wide and 106.44 m long.
It would have seven spans and fly over nine railway lines. It would also have a 1.80-m-wide pedestrian footpath and two ramps.
Chennai Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said that the work had been taken up under deposit scheme by the Railways. Superintending Engineer (Bridges) of the Corporation M. Ramamurthi said a raft foundation would be used in the construction. Instead of the conventional method, composite steel girders and RCC slabs would be used. MLA V.S. Babu spoke.
