New bridge across Cooum at Thiruverkadu nearing completion

New 17-meter-wide bridge in Thiruverkadu with cycle tracks and pedestrian pathways to improve connectivity to temples and Mount Poonamallee-Avadi Road.

The residents of Thiruverkadu will soon be able to access Mount Poonamallee-Avadi Road more quickly, as the Highways Department is working on completing a new 17-meter-wide bridge with six spans across the Cooum river. The bridge not only will cater to motorists but also to pedestrians as it has cycle tracks and pedestrian pathways on either side.

M. Venkatesh, who owns a nearby wedding hall, said once opened the bridge would provide better connectivity to several important temples in the area including the Devi Karumariamman temple and Vedapureeswarar temple. “These temples will now be at a walkable distance from the Mount Poonamallee – Avadi Road. Earlier, people had to travel 4 km to reach temple from this side. We only hope that the bridge would be properly maintained with lighting so that it can be used at night as well.” 

Work on the 300 mt-long bridge was started in 2021 but had to be put on hold due to the lockdown. “Since it is a river bridge we had to wait during monsoons and after that too for the water level to abate to resume construction work. We used to divert the water to the other side so that the work can be carried out,” explained an engineer associated with the project. Painting and electrical works are nearing completion. The median too is getting its finishing touches. Sign boards are being fixed and road markings are being made.

The bridge has been constructed at a cost of ₹19.48 crore which includes ₹7 crore spent on acquiring land for the project. A low-level causeway that used to get flooded whenever it rained heavily has been dismantled, and this bridge has come up on the same alignment. The pedestrian pathways and bicycle tracks have been provided since their numbers are quite large in the area. During peak hours, at least 250 bicycles take that road and around 500 – 600 pedestrians are likely to use the bridge.