CHENNAI: Pedestrians will have access to a foot overbridge which will cross the busy Poonamallee High Road and the congested Gandhi-Irwin Road, as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is planning to commission a detailed report for the project.
The plan to extend the existing foot overbridge inside Egmore railway station to the junction of Gandhi-Irwin Road and Whannels Road on the eastern side and across Poonamallee High Road was taken following a detailed study on multi-modal integration commissioned by CMDA.
Sources told Express that the foot overbridge will extend over Poonamallee High Road and descend close to the bus stop in front of the police commissioner’s office.
Currently, it is provided only within the station limits and passengers find it hard to cross the two roads. Also, the Egmore station, which now has a footfall of 1.5 lakh passengers, is expected to see many more after the Chennai Metro Rail network starts running on this stretch by the end of the year.
It was in 2001 that the Greater Chennai Corporation demolished an overbridge linking Egmore station with Gandhi-Irwin Road. Then, the foot overbridge was in a state of disuse for a long time and had become a gathering spot for anti-social elements after nightfall. The structure served little purpose as people preferred to dart across the road.
However, official sources said that with the rise in traffic and congestion, the proposed move could help in ensuring the safety of pedestrians.
Sources said it will be constructed on the existing land available along the footpath and plans are also afoot to identify funding mechanisms for implementing the project.
Similarly, there are also plans to have one for commuters to access the VOC Nagar station on the Chennai Central-Gummidipoondi section. Currently, the station can be accessed only from the eastern side while commuters from the western side, which has a lot of residential colonies, have to cross the railway tracks putting their lives at peril.
“Providing the foot overbridge will enable commuters to access the station safely,” sources said.