The Hindu 12.10.2010
Villivakkam subway to be opened by January-end
Staff Reporter
CHENNAI: Commissioning of the Villivakkam vehicular subway, a much-awaited facility to decongest traffic in north Chennai, will be delayed. The subway, which was scheduled to be completed last month, will be opened by January-end.
Officials of Chennai Corporation, which is implementing the project in association with Southern Railway, said the delay was mainly on account of the heavy rains between July and September.
Visiting the project site on Monday, Mayor M. Subramanian said the civic body had completed 85 per cent of the work. Southern Railway has installed three of the five concrete boxes, each 4.5 metre high and 10.6 m long, below the tracks. The remaining work is expected to be completed by mid-January.
The Rs.34.16-crore sub-way will be 447.50-metre long and 13 metre wide, which includes 2.5 m wide cycle tracks. The Corporation officials said work on the subway began in 2009 and the project faced many hurdles, including those related to acquisition of land and removal of encroachments.
Residents of Villivakkam want the work to be expedited. K. Sambasivam, general secretary of Rajaji Nagar Residents' Welfare Association, said the project was conceived about four years ago and the ground work, including soil tests, began two years ago. The Mayor also reviewed the work to construct road over bridge along the existing facility at Perambur Loco Works. He said the work would be completed by November end.
Both the vehicular subway and the ROB being constructed at a cost of Rs.9.25 crore would contribute significantly to decongesting traffic in several parts of north Chennai. Mr.Subramanian said the additional ROB in Perambur would be 6.3 m wide and 508 m long. Residents of Perambur said the project was behind schedule.
