CHENNAI: Now on, motorists from the city heading to Chengalpattu can have a smoother drive through the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road as two flyovers — at Vandalur and Pallavaram — were thrown open for traffic by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday. At a function held in Vandalur, the Chief Minister inaugurated several projects completed by the State Highways department at a cost of Rs 165.8 crore.
Also, Palaniswami laid foundation stone for constructing two U-shape bridges at Tidel Park and Indira Nagar junctions at an estimated cost of Rs 108.13 crore. The huge vehicle pile-up during peak hours at Vandalur - Kelambakkam - Mampakkam junction has been posing hindrance to the movement of vehicles plying from Outer Ring Road and GST. After an inordinate delay, the six-lane two-way bridge was built at a cost of Rs 55 crore. This 711-metre-long bridge will ease the traffic snarls at Vandalur junction, said highway officials.
Similarly, the newly opened three-lane unidirectional bridge in Pallavaram on GST Road, which connects Kundrathur road and Santhai road junction, is expected to provide relief to commuters. The 1,400-metre-long bridge was built at a cost of Rs 80.74 crore. Also, a new four-lane bridge at Ilaiyanar Kuppam on East Coast Road along with a bypass road in Puthupattinam in Chengalpattu district, together costing Rs 23.85 crore, was inaugurated.
In addition, two bridges in Cuddalore district and a flyover in Dindigul district were inaugurated. Addressing the gathering, Palaniswami said the bridges which are under construction at Koyambedu, Kolathur Retteri, Medavakkam, Kilkattalai and Velachery junctions are in the final stages of completion. “While Kolathur bridge works are 90 per cent completed, 85 per cent of works of Medavakkam bridge are finished. Also, the works of Koyambedu bridge are 75 per cent over.
All the bridges will be ready by the end of this year.” The CM said that the subway being built at Korattur at a cost of Rs 21.96 crore would be completed by September and 55 per cent of the bridge works at Thiruvottiyur - Ponneri - Pancheti junction have been completed. “An elevated skywalk at Tambaram is being built at a cost of Rs 19.75 crore and 50 per cent works of it are completed. The State government is taking efforts to expedite the works to be completed by the railways,” he further said.
Palaniswami orders release of water from Amaravathi dam
CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday ordered release of water from Amaravathi dam in Tirupur district for irrigation following the request of farmers. According to a statement, the water will be released, not more than 8,709 cu feet, through various channels of the dam from September 20 to February 2, next year. The statement further said a total of 51,803 acres of farmlands in Tirupur and Karur districts would be irrigated with the water.