The New Indian Express 21.05.2010
Vyasarpadi flyover to be completed in 3 years
CHENNAI: The long-standing demand of Vyasarpadi residents to clear traffic congestion in the area, is all set to become a reality in three years.
A 1.7-km long flyover, overlooking the Vyasarpadi Railway Station, will be built in a span of three years, said Mayor M Subramanian, on Thursday, while speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the flyover, which would be constructed at a cost of Rs 88.68 crore. The Railways department would contribute Rs 8 crore, while the rest would be provided by the State Highways Department.
It would begin as a four-way flyover from Basin Bridge Road and fork then into two, one towards Erukkancheri High Road and the other towards Sathya Moorthy Nagar Main Road. Land acquisition to the tune of 49,435 sq ft needs to be undertaken for the project.
“North Chennai is the focus of developmental activities in Chennai, and the Chennai Corporation is undertaking flyover and subway work in this area to the tune of Rs 165.74 crore,” said Mayor M Subramanian. Vehicular subways were being constructed in Villivakkam at a cost of Rs 34.92 crore, Korukkupet at Rs 19.70 crore and flyovers were being constructed in Perambur at Rs 8.41 crore and the Cochrane Basin Road-Kathivakkam High Road flyover at Rs 19.81 crore.
The Mayor also noted that this was the expensive flyover project undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Highways Department. The city’s major flyovers, including those in Padi or Kathipara, were funded by the National Highways Department.
The proposed flyover would cover stretches in NH 5, which was the route to enter other states, and so, the construction process should be speeded up, said K Mahendran, MLA from the Perambur constituency.
R Ramanathan, chief administrative officer, Southern Railways, noted that there were about 80 level crossings between trains plying from Chennai to Arakkonam, Gummudipoondi and Chengalpattu and efforts have to be made to ease traffic congestion there.
Work was going on for at least 30 new flyovers in the State, and these would help ease traffic congestion, said Vellakoil Saminathan, Minister for Highways and Small Ports, who laid the foundation stone. A total of 881 flyovers were constructed between 2006 and 2010 in the State at a cost of Rs 12,094 crore, he added.
