CHENNAI: Motorists and bus commuters who use the GST Road can soon breathe a sigh of relief as the Perungalathur level crossing gate 32, which has been a major cause of traffic congestion on the road for the past two decades will be closed soon, as the third arm of the Perungalathur rail overbridge is ready for inauguration.
The arm will facilitate a seamless flow of traffic towards Sreenivasan Ragavan Nagar in Peerkankaranai and New Perungalathur. According to a highways official, the construction of the 400-m third arm towards SR Nagar has been completed, with the final stage being the bituminous laying work. This section will be opened soon.
“Vehicles coming from SR Nagar can use the ROB to reach GST Road and reach Tambaram. Similarly, vehicles from Tambaram can access the bridge by making U-turns at Vandalur flyover to reach the Perungalathur ROB which leads to SR Nagar,” said an official. The ROB, which is being built for `235 crore, has an elliptical shape rotary on GST Road with six arms.
Two arms that enable one-way vehicular movement from Vandalur to Tambaram were opened in September last year, while construction is underway for two additional arms in the opposite direction. Moreover, one arm towards SR Nagar is scheduled to be opened soon, while the 750-m arm linking the Tambaram bypass road on Gandhi Road to Kamarajar Nagar is still under construction.
Official sources said once the third arm is inaugurated, a decision on shutting the LC gate will be taken in consultation with the traffic police. The frequent closure of the LC gate to allow train movements in the Tambaram - Chengalpattu section is a nightmare for motorists.
The highways official has assured us that all necessary measures are being taken to acquire the required land within the next two months. “Once the land acquisition is completed, the civil works for the bridge will be finished within six months,” added the official.