New FOB across railway track in Tiruvannamalai to be ready in April for public use

A new foot over bridge in Tiruvannamalai will enhance commuter safety by April, connecting the bus terminus to the railway station.

The ongoing work to construct a ₹14 crore foot over bridge (FOB) across a railway track to connect the new bus terminus with the railway station in Tiruvannamalai town will be completed by April and ready for public use.

Officials of State Highways, which is executing the work along with Southern Railway, said that the new bridge will help commuters reach the railway station safely because at present, they have to cross the busy Chittoor - Cuddalore High Road to reach the railway station. “High steel pillars on both sides of the track have been installed as part of the work. The entire work will be completed by April,” K. Anbarasu, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), State Highways, told The Hindu.

Highways officials said that the State Highways requested the Southern Railway to give its nod to install a steel floor of the new bridge across the railway track. To facilitate the installation of steel floors across the track, diversion of certain trains is required.

The Southern Railway is expected to give its nod in the coming weeks. “The new bridge will help commuters, especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities, to reach the railway station safely. The bridge should be ready soon,” said V. Raghuram, a commuter.

Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu inspected the ongoing bridge work in the presence of Collector K. Tharpagaraj recently.

Funded under the Chief Minister Road Development Plan (CMRDP) 2024-25, the new bridge will be 70 metres in length, six metres in height and 20 feet wide. The new facility will have staircases and escalators for users. Additionally, it will also have two lifts on both sides of the facility. Each lift, on an average, can accomodate 13 persons.