Work on construction of second stage of RoB near Tiruchi Junction yet to take off

Work on construction of second stage of RoB near Tiruchi Junction yet to take off

Work on construction of the second stage of the multi-level road overbridge (ROB) near the railway junction in the city is yet to begin, more than three months after it was formally inaugurated in March.

The existing narrow bridge across the railway line near Tiruchi junction should be dismantled and a new one built under the second stage of project, jointly executed by the Railways and the State Highways Department. The first stage was completed last year after much delay.

Municipal Administration Minister K. N. Nehru had inaugurated the work on March 12, ahead of the Lok Sabha election notifications. The works were expected to get underway in full swing over the next few days, after notifying traffic diversions in consultation with district administration and the police. However, the works have not been begun yet.

While officials in the Highways Department remain tight-lipped when queried about the delay, sources in the Railways said that the contract for construction of the main bridge portion above the railway track on the Tiruchi-Madurai section has been awarded and the work would begin soon.

The approach roads would be laid by the Highways Department at a cost of about ₹16 crore. The Highways Department is understood to have written to the district administration seeking traffic diversion to facilitate the construction work.

The ROB would run between Aristo roundabout and P&T Colony near Mannarpuram and have arms leading to the railway junction and its rear entrance at Kallukuzhi. The bridge with pedestrian pathways would run for a total length of 770 metres. The width of the bridge would be 13.50 metres. The two-way approach road to the railway junction would run for a length of 158 metres. The second stage of the project is scheduled to be completed within 15 months. It would not require land acquisition but for the alienation of about 235 square metres of land from the Department of Posts.

“The authorities should start the work without any further delay and complete it on schedule,” said H. Ghouse Baig, a consumer activist. The first stage of the project suffered enormous delay, after it was sanctioned in 2011. It was completed only last year due to delay in land acquisition and alienation.