The Hindu 06.11.2009
13 minor bridges, culverts to be widened
Deepa H Ramakrishnan
— Photo: N.Sridharan
SET FOR EXPANSION: A minor bridge near Madhya Kailash to be widened.
CHENNAI: A total of 13 small bridges and culverts across the city will be widened as part of measures to reduce traffic congestion.
Figuring in the list prepared by the Chennai Corporation is the widening of the bridge at the Madhya Kailash junction where rush-hour traffic pile-up is common. The bridge across the Virugambakkam canal at Kaliamman Koil Street will also be widened.
The Corporation is taking up the work after the police identified traffic bottlenecks that could be removed by widening bridges and culverts. Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Shakeel Akhtar said similar lists were sent to BSNL, the Highways Department and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. “We’ve listed the spots where unauthorised obstructions have to be removed, trees can be transplanted, TNEB transformers and BSNL junction boxes can be shifted.”
Civic body officials said that in some places the roads were wider than the bridges; this leads to traffic congestion.
The expansion works are being handled at the zonal level as they cost less than Rs.20 lakh each. Preliminary work has begun. The bridge and the box culvert on Anna Salai in Sastri Nagar, coming under Pulianthope Zone, would be demolished and rereconstructed at a cost of Rs.8.63 crore.
Minor bridges on Anderson Road, Sivananda Salai and Wallajah Road are being widened. Others to be widened include Gurusamy Bridge in Egmore and culverts on Spur Tank Road, Thirumangalam Road and Powder Mills Road.
