Riled up by the inordinate delay in the completion of the rail overbridge (RoB) in Polur town near Tiruvannamalai, residents, traders, and social activists staged a day-long protest on the Chittoor-Cuddalore Highway on Saturday.
The ₹24.66-crore RoB, which is being constructed by the State Highways, will replace the existing manned level crossing (LC:80) on the highway maintained by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Residents’ plight
Due to the prolonged bridge work, long-distance government buses currently halt only on the Bypass Road, which is about five km from the town, causing inconvenience to the residents. “Even ambulances find it risky to navigate as many key stretches in the town have been pot-holed due to the bridge work. We have been waiting for a decade for its completion,” said C.E. Senthil, a resident.
Once the new bridge is completed, residents need not take a detour of 10 km to reach the railway level crossing. At present, they have to depend on the Bypass Road to reach either sides of the town. Most of the schools, colleges, bus stands, government offices, and banks are located along the level crossing.
The new bridge, the nod for which was given in 2013, is constructed by the Southern Railway and the State Highways. The two-lane bridge will be 700 metres long and 12 metres wide, with at least 50 LED streetlights installed on it. Tiled footpaths with steel hand railings will be also set up. Staircases linking the bridge to the railway station are also being built.
Highways officials said that two pillars on the track have been built by the railways. Concrete decks on them will be placed by August. On its part, State Highways is constructing the remaining pillars. Adequate land to lay service lanes have also been acquired.
Delay in land acquisition by the Revenue Department of the district administration has increased the total project cost from ₹17.37 crore (2019) to ₹24.66 crore (2023), said officials.
Published - July 27, 2024 11:17 pm IST
