The Hindu 18.01.2010
Delay in construction of bridges inconveniences road users
Staff Reporter
| Traffic has been diverted to enable work to proceed |
Bridges are coming up at Ananda Irakkam, near old bus stand and at Gun Point
Construction of bridges is moving at snail’s pace, inconveniencing road users
Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan 
Not completed: The delay in construction of a bridge in Ananda Irakkam has put people in Salem city to much hardship. —
SALEM: The delay in the construction of three bridges across the Tirumanimutharu River channel in the city remains a cause for serious concern.
Thousands of vehicle users have been put to hardship due to the delay.
The Salem Corporation had taken up the construction of bridges at Ananda Irakkam, near old bus stand and at Gun Point as a part of the second phase of Tirumanimutharu River Improvement Project.
The State Government allotted a sum of Rs. 31.5 crore for carrying out the second phase of the project.
The second phase is aimed at lining the bed and bunds of Tirumanimutharu, a major river-turned-sewer that traverses through the heart of the city, 590 metres upstream starting from Anaimedu and 2,210 metres downstream stating from Apsara Theatre.
The construction of bridges was moving at a snail’s pace, putting a large number of vehicle users to hardship.
The traffic was also diverted in other routes in order to carry out the construction.
This resulted in traffic snarls near the old bus stand, first and second agraharams.
The officials had diverted the flow of sewage into various other channels. In the recent rains, all these channels overflowed flooding the residential colonies.
Residential colonies such as Kitichipalayam and Narayanan Nagar are worst affected due to overflow of sewage channels.
Collector J. Chandrakumar inspected the works and inquired about the reasons for the delay.
He directed the officials to speed up the work. “But the works were still moving slowly,” vehicle users point out.
Civic officials earlier claimed that the project would be completed by the end of December.
Officials now say that the works will be completed only by March 2010.
