CHENNAI: Nearly 13 years after it was sanctioned, the State Highways is all set to build a rail overbridge (ROB), replacing the manned level-crossing between Guduvancheri and Singaperumal Koil stations on the Chennai - Tiruchy NH. Highways Minister EV Velu laid the foundation on Wednesday.
The elliptical shape rotary ROB is to be built at a cost of Rs 90.74 crore. It will have two arms each towards Chengalpattu and Tambaram on the NH. While one arm towards Mamallapuram will connect with the proposed Ennore - Mahabalipuram peripheral road, another on Singaperumal Koil - Sriperumpudur side will connect with the ramp. The ROB at Singaperumail Koil side starts at State highways that run up to Red hills via Sriperumbudur and Tiruvallur, connecting four national highways.
To facilitate train movement in Tambaram - Chengalpattu section, LC gate near Guduvancheri closes for more than 20 times a day.
To ease traffic congestion, in 2007, the State government sanctioned Rs 52.89 crore for an ROB. However, the project got delayed as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) declined permission citing increasing vehicle volume.
A few years later, the Union government proposed to build 133-km Chennai Peripheral Ring Road connecting Mamallapuram (Poonjeri) with Ennore Port via Singaperumal Koil, Sriperumbudur, Tiruvallur bypass and Thatchur.
The alignment of the ROB was altered considering the design and alignment of the proposed peripheral road project.
“The ROB work at Perungalathur is progressing well. The second ROB on the GST road will certainly reduce traffic congestion during peak hours. During festival days, we wait nearly 45 minutes to cross the railway gate,” said K Rajan, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, Guduvancheri.