Friday 13 November 2009

4-Lane Bridge In Nerkundram To Link Poonamallee High Rd With Mogappair

Source :



Elevated bridge to be built over Cooum

4-Lane Bridge In Nerkundram To Link Poonamallee High Rd With Mogappair

Jeeva | TNN

Chennai: Residents of Mogappair will soon have better connectivity to Poonamallee High Road, thanks to a 100-ftlong, four-lane, elevated bridge that will be constructed over the Cooum river near the MGR University in Nerkundram.

The state highways department has called for tenders for the project and will issue the work order next month. The bridge will cost Rs 16 crore.

The need for such a bridge has been a long-pending demand. The existing road-level bridge over the Cooum, constructed about four decades ago, is in a dilapidated state and could collapse any time. The bridge does not even have parapet walls on either side and poses a hazard to users of the stretch, particularly at night. “There is an urgent need to build a new bridge here since the existing bridge has almost collapsed. Pedestrians and vehicle users have to be very cautious here. The danger is more at night when visibility is poor,’’ said Gopinath, a motorist.

The highways department’s move has evoked a welcome response from residents in Mogappair and Nerkundram.

“Once the new bridge is built, more people will prefer to use the adjoining Mogappair East Main Road, which links Tirumangalam Main Road near the Golden Flats bus stop to Poonamallee High Road in Nerkundram. It can even be made a bus-route road since it will reduce the travelling distance between Nerkundram and Tirumangalam Main Road, from six to three km. Similarly, people from Ambattur Industrial Estate can reach the Koyambedu bus terminus without passing Collector Nagar and Tirumangalam junction. The bridge can also lead to the introduction of a direct bus service from Avadi and Ambattur to Nerkundram, Maduravoyal and Vanagaram,’’ said Anantharaman, a Mogappair resident and a regular on MTC buses.

Currently, there is no direct bus service from Nerkundram and Maduravoyal to Ambattur Industrial Estate.

While highways officials said that the new bridge was scheduled to be completed in 18 months from the date of commencement of work, residents in the area urged authorities to ensure that there was no delay in the commencement and completion of construction work.



MODERN MAKEOVER: The road bridge across the river Cooum linking Mogappair with Poonamallee High Road is in a dilapidated condition. This will be replaced with a four-lane elevated bridge