CHENNAI: Crossing over to Tambaram railway station from West Tambaram bus terminus and vice versa, across the busy Grand Southern Trunk Road will soon become safe, thanks to a foot overbridge (FoB) planned at this southern gateway to the city.
Every day, especially during rush hour, thousands of people risk their safety while moving across the road. There is a signal and a couple of policemen are posted there to facilitate the crossing, but it is often a nightmare considering the huge volume of people.
Though there is a pedestrian subway nearby, a cursory glance is enough to tell that it is not much patronised by public for several reasons. Hawkers and small traders take up much of the subway and the intended beneficiaries instead prefer to cross the road. As a result, traffic is also held up near this spot on GST road. Once the FoB comes up, it is envisaged that there will be an unrestricted flow of vehicular traffic.
A significant component of the project is the skywalk, with a sturdy overhead shelter, which will be linked to the FoB. The 120-metre skywalk will be constructed along the median of GST road and provide a direct access to the Tambaram railway station. As it is the case with Chrompet FoB, state highway department officials say ticket booth counters will be opened at the elevated walkway. “Passengers can buy their train tickets here and directly descend onto the station platform,” the official told Express. Two-way escalators and ramps will be available on both sides of the FoB, he added. It has been estimated by officials that project will benefit more than 1.5 lakh people daily, with a similar FoB at Chrompet catering for around 85,000 persons every day.The Highways Department is