The Hindu             20.06.2013

Civic body keen on public opinion for new flyovers

The Chennai Corporation will step up efforts to increase participation in the public consultation of proposed flyovers.

The
next such meeting for upcoming flyovers in Mandaveli and Sterling Road
will have better participation of residents, said an official of the
Chennai Corporation.

“We will ask Tamil Nadu Urban
Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd. (TNUIFSL) to give better
publicity for the next public consultation,” said the official. The
decision on the next public consultation is likely to be taken at the
review committee meeting to be held shortly.

The
civic body had publicised the mobile number of the consultant concerned
for collection of opinions from residents on the proposed flyovers at
Kotturpuram and Arcot Road.

“But very few people
contacted the consultant. Only two calls were received in the past few
days,” said an official associated with the project.

The
consultant will guide the residents to give their suggestions in
writing. “The residents who called only enquired about land acquisition.
Suggestions on improvement of facilities were few. Around 60 feedback
forms were received at the public consultation,” said the official.

The consultant will also compile the audio and video recordings of public consultations.

The
civic body is likely to expand two flyovers based on the first public
consultation held last week. The structures are expected to ease
congestion around the junctions of Arcot Salai-K.K. Nagar 80-feet Road
and Gandhi Mandapam Salai-Ponniamman Koil Salai in Kotturpuram.

Residents
at the public consultation voiced their concerns on existing designs,
pointing to local factors in their neighbourhood that would make them
unviable. However, there were few valid suggestions, an official said.
Corporation officials said the proposed flyover in Kotturpuram,
estimated to cost Rs. 76 crore, will reduce waiting time at the junction
to 30 seconds from the current 136 seconds.

The
proposed flyover at Arcot Salai-K.K. Nagar 80-feet Road junction is
likely to be redesigned to extend over a stretch of 2.6 km. Mayor Saidai
Duraisamy, last year, had proposed to conduct feasibility studies for
construction of flyovers at the junctions of Arcot Salai in Saligramam
and K.K. Nagar 80-feet Road, the Mandaiveli junction near the Mandaiveli
bus stand, Bharathi Salai and Royapettah Clock Tower junction, and the
junction of Gandhi Mandapam Salai and Ponniamman Koil Salai in
Kotturpuram.

A study on a similar facility at the
junction of Bharathi Salai and Royapettah Clock Tower, however, did not
take off due to traffic diversions in place for Metro Rail work.