Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Road Development

After 20 yrs, way cleared for link road in Tambaram

Print PDF

Source : The Times of India Date : 09.07.2009

After 20 yrs, way cleared for link road in Tambaram

CHENNAI: It took a long time coming but when it finally came, on Wednesday, nearly 20,000 residents of East Tambaram and Selaiyur were elated. Two decades after the first petition was filed for the link road, the Tambaram municipality finally cleared the way for laying an access road connecting Avaithar Street in Selaiyur with Velachery Main Road.

"This is a dream come true for thousands of residents. It cut shorts the distance by nearly three kilometres," said K Vijayalakshmi, a resident of New Balaji Nagar.

Currently, residents of New Balaji Nagar, IOB Colony, Bharathi Nagar, Selaiyur (South) and adjoining areas reach Velachery Main Road via Camp Road that belongs to the Indian Air Force. All these years, they had a tough time as the road was often restricted for traffic movement for security reasons.

Now all that is set to end soon. "I was in my 20s when the issue was first highlighted by the residents. Since then, the problem has been raised at every forum such as welfare association meetings, monthly council meetings and grievances meetings," said a Tambaram municipality official.

According to sources, the municipality acquired 6,000 sq ft of land from private owners for the 24-ft wide link road. It paid the required Rs 10.90 lakh to the revenue department of the Kancheepuram district in 2002 but procedural delays hampered the muncipality's efforts to lay the road. The issue was tabled in the monthly council meeting in 1989 and was cleared by the councillors.

Since then, repeated reminders were made by municipal officials and by the elected representative of the ward concerned (Ward No:20) at the monthly council meetings and now the dream has come true. "We will immediately level the ground and lay a 'kutcha' road. After a resolution is passing at the upcoming council meeting for topping it with bitumen along with the estimate, we will lay a permanent road on the existing stretch," sources said.

 

Few road projects to be ready by end of the year

Print PDF

Source : The Hindu Date : 08.07.2009

Few road projects to be ready by end of the year

K. Manikandan

Project near Meenambakkam station nearing completion

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

Taking shape: The road overbridge to replace the railway level-crossing near Tambaram Sanatorium railway station is expected to be thrown open by year-end.

TAMBARAM: Delay in land acquisition, shifting of utilities, problems over design and alignment and delay on the part of Southern Railway in completing its portion of work are some of the reasons for the delay in completing road connectivity projects as scheduled in the southern suburbs of Chennai.

Despite problems posed on various fronts, at least a few projects are expected to be completed and commissioned before the end of this year.

The first facility expected to become operational is a subway to replace the level-crossing (LC No. 19) near Meenambakkam railway station. The Rs.9.3-crore project (that excludes Southern Railway’s share) is nearing completion and expected to be thrown open next month. But for completion of an underground sump for collecting rainwater during monsoon and other small pending works, major portion of the subway has been completed, State Highways Department officials said.

Another facility that is nearing completion is a road overbride to replace LC No. 29 near Tambaram Sanatorium railway station. The Rs.16-crore project (excluding Southern Railway’s share) has been completed, except for finishing touches on the Chitlappakkam, East Tambaram and Grand Southern Trunk Road directions.

The delay was also due to a change in design as sought by East Tambaram residents for access to Bharathamatha Street. This overbridge, officials hoped, would be opened before the year end.

Another crucial project where work had been speeded up was the bridge connecting GST Road with Pallavaram – Thoraipakkam Radial Road. The Rs.22-crore project (excluding Southern Railway’s share) had run into difficulties over problems in alignment design and shifting of utilities. Southern Railway, officials said, had completed their share of installing the super structure across the railway tracks. They hoped to complete the pending works at the earliest. Once completed, it would improve connectivity between GST Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai (IT Corridor) easing congestion at various points.

Another pending project is the Rs. 14-crore road overbridge to replace LC No. 24 near Pallavaram railway station. Delay in completing land acquisition procedure from the Ministry of Defence alone had taken several months. Work had picked up now, officials said, but did not commit on the time frame for the bridge to become operational.

Delay in completing land acquisition formalities had delayed even the commencement of preliminary works on a vehicular subway to replace the railway level-crossing on Dargah Road (LC No. 25) near Pallavaram. Work was expected to commence in about two months time. Officials said that work on the Rs. 35-crore road overbridge at Tambaram was going on and expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

Other projects that were in the pipeline include a Rs.4-crore limited use subway in Radha Nagar, Chromepet and pedestrian subways in Adambakkam (opposite Nidhi School) and near A.M. Jain College, Meenambakkam (through AAI quarters).

Officials said that greater help and speeding up of work from other government agencies, especially the Revenue Department, local bodies, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board and water supply agencies for land acquisition and shifting of utilities such as underground power supply cables, lamp-posts, transformers and junction boxes, telephone cables and water supply mainlines would greatly help the Highways Department complete all projects on time.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 08 July 2009 04:36
 

Alternative road plan welcomed

Print PDF

Source : The Hindu Date : 24.06.2009

Alternative road plan welcomed

Special Correspondent

From Dodabetta to Udhagamandalam

Udhagamandalam: A move to promote an alternative road between Dodabetta and Udhagamandalam has been welcomed by all sections of the society here.

Thanking the government for considering favourably the long-standing demand to improve the road which connected places like Dodabetta, Wood House and Pudhumund, Municipal Councillor N.Chunchiah said that it would relieve congestion not only on the main Dodabetta-Ooty road but also within the town.

Pointing out that a sum of Rs. 6 crore had been earmarked for improving the road, he said he hoped that the work would be completed by the summer of 2010.

Footpaths

Meanwhile some of those residing along the road said that it was used by many pedestrians and underscored the need to provide foot paths along risky stretches.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 June 2009 07:22
 


Page 61 of 62