COIMBATORE: The construction of the last remaining pillar of the long-awaited Saibaba Colony flyover on Mettupalayam Road is set to commence as the removal of the sewage water that had filled a construction pit for months commenced on Friday.
The work had stalled nearly nine months ago after workers accidentally damaged an underground drainage (UGD) pipeline at Saibaba Colony junction while digging the foundation for one of the pillars in December. Subsequently, sewage water gushed into the pit, filling it to the brim and spreading a foul odour across the area.
Despite repeated concerns raised by the State Highways Department, neither the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board nor the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) stepped in to remove the stagnated sewage or repair the pipeline. Meanwhile, highway engineers went ahead with constructing the other 22 pillars and even installed girders, leaving only the disputed pillar pending.
With the project facing further delays, highway officials have now taken matters into their own hands. On Friday, they deployed machinery to pump out the sewage water and prepare the site for the long-delayed foundation work.
"Almost all the pillars and a majority of the girders, deck slabs and numerous other works in the Saibaba Colony flyover project have been completed now. The only pending work was this pillar, which we couldn't proceed with due to the drainage issue. We have now started pumping out the sewage water by ourselves, and within two days the pit will be ready for foundation works," a senior highways Department official told TNIE.
The 975-metre-long, 16.61-metre-wide flyover, being executed by the National Highways wing of the State Highways Department, stretches from Alagesan Road to the MTP Road Bus Terminus near Eru Company. The project is expected to significantly decongest one of the city's busiest corridors. The structure requires 23 pillars and 22 decks, most of which have already been completed.
Commuters and residents, who have been enduring daily traffic snarls on the stretch, expressed cautious relief, hoping the final works will be expedited so that the flyover can be opened at the earliest.