Chennai: After years of demand, Bhojaraja Nagar subway finally functional
With the public forced to rely on the existing railway crossing gate as the only way to reach the other side, the limited-use subway will be a boon for the residents.
Aerial view of the Bhojaraja Nagar subway (inset) in Korrukupet opened for public use on Monday (Photo: Justin George)
CHENNAI: No more risky track crossing for over 6,000 families residing across Bhojaraja Nagar, Srinivasan Nagar and Mint Modern City with the opening of the Bhojaraja Nagar subway in Korukkupet on Monday. Constructed at Rs 30 crore, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the subway for improved connectivity and safety.
With the public forced to rely on the existing railway crossing gate as the only way to reach the other side, the limited-use subway will be a boon for the residents.
Heavy vehicles are restricted from accessing the subway. The subway tunnel is 207 metres long, with a 37-metre section passing under the railway tracks. It is 6 metres wide and features essential infrastructure to manage rainwater, including a water collection well, 85 HP motor pumps, and a generator.
Advocate Mohamood Aadhif, a resident of Mint Modern City, said, "This is a result of continuous efforts to restart the subway work, sanctioned twenty years back. Several lost their lives, and women gave birth while stuck on one side of the gate. Additionally, our long wait to open the railway gate came to an end. Now within a minute we reach the other side to reach Tondiarpet, IOC, Korukkupet, Mint, Basin Bridge and move to other areas easily."
In a previous report by DT Next, another resident, K Bhuvana, had shared that she had to give birth in an autorickshaw while waiting to use the railway crossing and that her father-in-law lost his life in the ambulance waiting to cross the tracks.
The completed subway will make the lives of hundreds of daily commuters, school students and office workers easier by slashing their travel time, residents had told DT Next. The closure of railway gates in crucial periods in the morning and evening has long impacted the routines of the residents.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Municipal Administration KN Nehru, Minister of HR&CE PK Sekar Babu, Mayor R Priya, Royapuram MLA R Moorthy, Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumaar, GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran and other officials and the public.
In addition to the subway, Udhayanidhi also inaugurated several other community development projects in the area at Rs 1.41 crore, including a new children's play area, a renovated roundtana park and surrounding walkway, and a public seating area.
