CHENNAI: A crucial road link between Chennai and Puducherry in East Coast Road is facing the threat of snapping during the monsoon as officials are yet to restore the sunken bridge over the Uppamkuli Canal at Illaiyanar Kuppam near Kalpakkam.
The bridge was damaged during the floods in 2015 and since then has not been restored. For the first six months, motorists had to take a turn from East Coast Road near Vengampakkam and pass through Kalpakkam and Sadras to reach Puducherry. “Now, they have built a temporary road, but we fear it is vulnerable and will be washed away with heavy rain”, says Swami Das, the village assistant of Perumbakkam.
“The village administration has submitted letters urging the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) to make the bridge operational as soon as possible,” says the Village Administative Officer of Vittalapuram village Sabapathy. As vehicles buzz over the makeshift road over the Uppamkuli canal, which is barely a few metres above the water, Sabapathy says there was some activity over the bridge a month ago. But later it stopped.
Interestingly, when TNRDC sources were contacted, they said a tender has been floated for preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for construction of a new four-lane bridge near the sunken bridge.
It is learnt that the DPR will include detailed engineering survey, alignment and sub-soil investigation, detailed design for bridge approaches, arrangement for disposal of rain water, cross drainage works, design of footpath, diversion roads if required, quantities of various items involved, detailed drawings, detailed cost estimates, environmental and social management plan.
But, villagers feel that if the work is not taken up soon, a crucial link between Chennai and Puducherry will be cut off.