CHENNAI: The state highways has started dismantling the footbridge at the Madhya Kailash junction, opposite VHS Hospital, to make way for a L-shaped flyover. This two-lane flyover, which will allow traffic movement from Sardar Patel Road to Rajiv Gandhi Salai, is being constructed at a cost of Rs 60.6 crore. It will be 652m long and 7.6m wide.
The flyover will start 350m from the existing flyover near IIT Madras junction and terminate on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, opposite Kasturibai Nagar railway station.
A highway official said the footbridge was being dismantled to make way for the service road. “We have removed the stairs of the footbridge to begin the work. A tender has been floated for its complete dismantling,” the official said, adding that a new footbridge will be constructed under the flyover. “We have relocated the bus stop near the U-turn where pedestrians can cross the road. As of now, 50% of the flyover construction is complete,” the official added.
The junction where Sardar Patel Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai meet witnesses heavy traffic throughout the day, with vehicles queuing up to Guindy Anna University, with a wait time of up to 20 minutes during peak hours. As the construction work has shrunken the road’s width, Sardar Patel Road was widened from 75ft to 110ft, and a stormwater drain was built and connected it to nearby canals.
According to an official survey, 90,000 vehicles pass the junction daily, with 60,000 heading towards Rajiv Gandhi Salai. “The flyover is part of a larger plan to reduce congestion on OMR from Madhya Kailash to Tiruvanmiyur junction,” the official said.
The land acquisition process for the project is nearing completion, with funds being disbursed to landowners.