CHENNAI: A long-standing demand of the residents of Singaperumal Koil and its surrounding areas has finally been fulfilled with the partial opening of a rail overbridge (RoB) on Wednesday.
The RoB was proposed to replace level crossing gate 47 between Singaperumal Koil and Guduvanchery railway stations, thereby decongesting the GST Road.
The state highways minister, EV Velu, inaugurated three arms of the rotary-type RoB. These include unidirectional two-lane arms facilitating traffic from Chengalpattu to Tambaram, and a bi-directional four-lane arm enabling movement between Chengalpattu and Sriperumbudur, as well as Sriperumbudur and Tambaram.
The remaining three arms, which will cater to traffic from Tambaram towards Chengalpattu and another route towards East Coast Road, are 75% complete and expected to be operational within six months. The total project cost amounts to Rs 138.27 crore.
Official sources from the highways and the railways said vehicles from Tambaram can make a U-turn after detouring 200m before the RoB and use the bridge to access the Sriperumbudur highway. “The decision on permanently closing LC gate 47 will be taken based on the collector’s recommendation. Now that the RoB is functional, vehicles can utilise it in both directions,” an official stated.
The RoB was initially proposed to replace LC gate 47 due to frequent closures that caused severe traffic congestion on GST Road, particularly during peak hours, often leading to vehicle snarl-ups extending up to 2 to 3 km. This S P Koil-Sriperumbudur highway serves as the only four-lane connection between GST Road and the Chennai-Bengaluru Bypass.
Previously, heavy trucks heading towards the Oragadam SIPCOT and Sriperumbudur Industrial Belt had to halt at LC gate 47 before entering into the highway heading to Sriperumbudur. Though the state government sanctioned the RoB’s construction in 2006-07, the project was stalled in 2008 as NHAI denied the necessary No Objection Certificate (NOC) citing traffic congestion. It was officially shelved in October 2014.
In 2021, the project was revived as part of the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road, which connects Kattupalli Port to Poonjeri via Thatchur, Tiruvallur Bypass, Sriperumbudur, and Singaperumal Koil. With minor alignment modifications, the government allocated Rs 138.27 crore for its completion.