MADURAI: The railway over the bridge coming up in Bodinayakanur will be completed within a year, said an official from the state highways department. The construction started under the union government's Sethubharatham project a month ago at a cost of Rs 45 crore.
"The main aim of the construction of the 851-metre-long ROB in Bodinayakanur is to eliminate the use of the level crossing. At present pier works are being carried out, and the bridge is expected to be completed within a year. It is being built in Madurai-Kochi NH-49 between Bodinayakanur Annamalai tea stall and spice board. Since this is the only way to go to Theni or Kerala from the district, people have to wait a long time to reach the destination. Once the ROB is constructed, the waiting time will be reduced," said the official.
Bodinayakanur Merchants Association president B Velmurugan said, "Bodi-Madurai trains ply on a regular basis in the stretch. There is also a three-day train service between Bodi-Chennai - Bodi. A large number of people from Kerala thronged Bodinayanur to get the train to Chennai. We expect there will be more train services to reach different destinations."
He further stated that the slow progress of the project is resulting in traffic congestion, and asked officials to expedite the work.