Two new bridges to ease traffic flow in Chennai

CHENNAI: Thousands of motorists and commuters will heave a sigh of relief when the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) inaugurates two new bridges in the city.

The Ezhil Nagar Road Over Bridge (ROB) in north Chennai will help motorists in Tondiarpet, Ezhil Nagar, and other neighbourhoods. And, the new bridge at Nolambur Sannathi Nagar will connect the neighbourhood to reach Poonamallee High Road faster.

A senior official in the Greater Chennai Corporation told DT Next, “A new high-level bridge was constructed across the Cooum River, near Maduravoyal, connecting Union Road in Nolambur and Poonamallee High Road via Sannathi Nagar 1st Cross Street. All the works on the Nolambur Sannathi Nagar bridge are completed and ready for inauguration.”

According to GCC, the bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs 31.65 crore. The bridge is 120 metres long, and 12 metres wide. It includes 7.5 metres of the road and 2.5 metres of footpath on both sides. Also, the construction of the park is underway and is expected to be completed soon.

E Meganathan, a resident of Nolambur, said, “There are two crossways between Maduravoyal Union Road Junction and Chinna Nolambur stretch. Both get flooded during the monsoon. So residents of Nolambur and Chinna Nolambur are forced to take a detour and go around 2.5 km to reach Poonamallee High Road. That’s why this bridge will be a boon, as it’s a shortcut to reach Maduravoyal market and other nearby locations.”

Concurring with him was R Dhanam, a house-help in Chinna Nolambur, who added: “The new bridge will help me reach home in 20 minutes. In the monsoon, I walk more than 3 km to reach my house near Maduravoyal market.”

Thousands of commuters in Tondiarpet, Ezhil Nagar, Kodungaiyur and other neighbourhoods have to wait for a few more months for the completion of the Ezhil Nagar (ROB). The estimated cost of the project was Rs 105 crore.

According to residents, the works began in 2023 and are going on at a fast pace. A portion above the track is yet to be completed. “Ezhil Nagar is a congested area with thousands of residents plying from Tondiarpet High Road via narrow streets of Ezhil Nagar to reach Ennore High Road. An ROB like this one will help thousands of commuters reach their destinations on time,” opined K Prabarkan, a resident of Ezhil Nagar.

A senior official in the Bridges department said that almost all the works were completed from the GCC’s end. “Installation of lights and initial painting works on the outside of the ROB are also completed. We’re waiting for the bowstring works to be completed by the railways, which was supposed to have completed them by August but now it’s extended to the end of September,” he added.