Bridge across Pulicat at Pasiyavaram likely to be completed by this year end

Sources in the Highways department said that of the 20 deck slabs that form top layer of the bridge, 18 had been completed

Work to construct a bridge across the Pulicat lake to connect several villages, including Pasiyavaram, Sathankuppam, Edamanikuppam, Vairavankuppam and Edamani Colony, to the mainland is moving at a slow pace.

Work on the 1,032-metre-long, two-lane bridge, estimated at ₹18.2 crore, began in August 2020 and is expected to be completed by this year end.

Suman, a resident of Pulicat, said the bridge was a necessity for residents of these villages, especially during the monsoon. “The public, including children, are forced to wade through water when the level rises due to rain. The officials hope that by mid-November we will be able to cross the facility by foot, which is a positive sign,” he said.

Residents have been fighting for the bridge for over a decade. As the site is close to a bird sanctuary, there was delay in getting the ncessary clearances.

Sources in the Highways department said that of the 20 deck slabs that form top layer of the bridge, 18 had been completed and two more were expected to be finished by mid-November. “We hope to allow pedestrian traffic after that since we will be laying the bituminous tar layer also simultaneously. The two approaches too have to be completed and since most of the soil required is available, the work is expected to be completed by this December,” said an engineer associated with the project. 

Although the work was to be completed by August this year, it had taken more time. About the reasons for the delay, another official explained that the lack of steel supplies in April-May due to high prices, the lockdown in 2021 and very small windows for construction were causes.  “Workers left when the lockdown began and it took us sometime to trace and bring them back,” he said.