The Highways Department has begun work to construct a bridge on the Sholinganallur-Medavakkam Road that will allow large volumes of rainwater to reach the Okkiyam Madugu from the marshlands.
The existing bridge is only 10 metres wide. The new one, which will be 75 metres wide and have three spans of 25 m each, will provide enough space for gushing floodwaters to pass through, said an official.
The ₹15 crore work had been suggested by the Thirupugazh Committee to prevent flooding, but was put on hold due to MetRail’s construction on that road that connects the Tambaram-Velachery Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai and carries over 60,000 vehicles a day.
“In the first phase, work on the Sholinganallur to Medavakkam side has been taken up and this is expected to be completed in six months. Traffic has been diverted to the side of the road where construction would be taken up after completion of the first phase. The entire work is slated to be completed in a year,” said another official source. The bridge, on completion, would be six lanes wide, to match the width of the carriageway of the road.
R.Robert, who uses the Medavakkam- Sholinganallur Road to commute to work daily, urged the Highways Department and the Chennai Metro Rail to take up repair works on the endless number of potholes on the road. “Due to rains, the potholes are filled with slush and there is no space for pedestrians to walk safely. This is especially so in the area along the marsh. The sides of the road have a lot of filth, mud and rubble. Removing these would provide more space for motorists and pedestrians alike,” he said.
