The Tiruchi City Corporation plans to seek the opinion of experts from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi, to carry out repairs on the two overbridges at Thennur and Palakkarai in the city.
Despite periodic repairs, it is a bumpy ride on the two overbridges because of widening gaps and damages to the expansion joints. At many places, the concrete edges at the expansion joints between the decks have been eroded or broken. This has created a wide gap between the decks, endangering the safety of motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, residents complain.
Following representations from the public and a few councillors, Mayor M. Anbazhagan, along with officials, inspected the bridge on Friday. Mr. Anbazhagan told The Hindu that the bridges built by the Highways Department had been handed over to the Corporation. “We have planned to carry out repairs, on the lines of the rehabilitation work taken up recently on the Cauvery bridge by the Highways Department. We will carry out the work after obtaining the recommendations of experts from the NIT-T,” Mr. Anbazhagan said.
It had been almost two decades since the overbridges at Palakkarai and Thennur were built in the city at the initiative of the former Union Minister late Rangarajan Kumaramangalam. And both the structures are in need of comprehensive maintenance, say residents.
“With the Corporation commencing work on overbridge on the Fort Station Road, all vehicles will be diverted via Thennur to reach West Boulevard Road and other places. But the bridge is in a poor shape and makes for bumpy ride. The civic body should take up urgent repairs to ensure that motorists have a smooth ride on the bridges and provide adequate lighting,” said N. Saravanan, a road safety activist.
Conceding that the damages had become hazardous for road users, K. Suresh, CPI councillor representing Ward 23, who had made a representation to the Mayor along with a few other councillors, said the problem was similar to the one that had developed on the Cauvery bridge which required major repairs. He welcomed the Mayor’s inspection and decision to seek expert opinion to carry out repairs.
