The Hindu 22.12.2010
Stone laid for Thirumangalam flyover
Staff Reporter
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Flyovers to come up in Vadapalani and on EVR Periyar Salai |
— Photo: S.S. Kumar
Easing traffic:Union Minister for Textiles Dayanidhi Maran lays the
foundation stone for the Thirumangalam flyover project in Chennai on
Monday. Highways Minister Vellakoil Saminathan and Mayor
CHENNAI: Flyovers will soon come up at important junctions in
Vadapalani and on EVR Periyar Salai, Highways Minister Vellakoil
Saminathan said on Monday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of work on a flyover-cum-subway project at the Thirumangalam junction.
The facility in Thirumangalam, estimated to cost Rs.60.23 crore, will
be open for traffic in two years. The 805-metre-long flyover will
facilitate smooth flow of traffic across two intersections – Anna Nagar
2nd Avenue and Mogappair Road junction on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.
On either side of the flyover, a 7.5 metre-wide carriageway will be
provided. Construction of stormwater drains and a 2.25 metre-wide
pedestrian footpath are also proposed.
Mr. Saminathan said that more than Rs.15,000 crore has been spent on
the construction and maintenance of roads across the State in the past
four years. He added that of the 104 road over bridges (ROB) that were
approved in the same period, 24 have been completed and are in use.
Union Minister for Textiles Dayanidhi Maran, who laid the foundation
stone for the Thirumangalam facility, said that the needs of the city’s
populace are changing. “Earlier, basic connecting roads and electricity
were the main demands. Now, people are asking for parks. In the current
scenario, transport is emerging as a key issue among the city’s
residents,” he said. Mr. Maran said that though a number of flyovers
have been built across the city, it is not making much of a difference
as the number of vehicles on the road is rapidly increasing. “But growth
in the automobile sector is a good thing and the government will
continue to build more such facilities,” he said.
Comparing the present quality of roads in the city to that in
2002-03, he opined that it used to be full of potholes. “But this year
despite heavy rains, traffic is moving smoothly on most roads,” he said.
Mayor M. Subramanian said that over 10 flyovers and subways are in various stages of construction across the city.