COIMBATORE: After not receiving proper bids from contractors for the construction of the Singanallur Flyover due to low estimation cost, the Highways Department officials have decided to revise the amount and float a fresh tender for the sixth time.
The National Highways wing of the State Highways Department had proposed building flyovers at Saravanampatti, Singanallur, and Saibaba Colony junction, identified as ‘black spots’ to reduce traffic congestion. However, the officials decided to drop the project as the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) recommended to the government that they were planning to construct metro rails on the same route. Due to this, there was a huge uproar and the people opposed the plan.
In view of this, the government decided to go ahead with the flyover project at Singanallur and Saibaba Colony, as the first phase of the metro rail project was planned on Sathyamangalam and Avinashi Roads. Tenders were floated for flyovers at both junctions. However, the highways department did not receive any proper response for the Singanallur project as no potential companies participated in the bidding.
Sources said that the Singanallur flyover was originally approved in 2022. However, the project was delayed citing metro works on Trichy Road. The flyover project was planned at an estimated cost of Rs 110.8 crore for a length of about 2.4 km with 4-lane roads, starting from Uzhavar Sandhai and ending near the Jai Shanthi Theatre on Trichy Road (NH 81).
The highways department had also floated tender five times in the past for its construction. However, they did not receive any proper bids due to the issue with the 62-metre long-span design, lower estimation cost, and other reasons. Given this, the officials decided to tweak the estimate and designs.
A senior official from the NH wing of the Coimbatore SH Department told TNIE, “The approval for the project was given around three to four years ago at an estimated cost of Rs 110.8 crore. While the project was halted for a couple of years citing metro work, the construction materials cost skyrocketed. However, the project was not revised accordingly. Owing to that, some of the major contractors refrained from bidding for the project. On the other hand, a few ineligible players had bid for the project but later withdrew citing the design of a 62-metre long span between two pillars at the Singanallur junction.”
The official added, “Because of this, we have now started the works to revise the estimated cost as well as the design of the flyover. The estimation will be hiked by a minimum of 15 per cent and the design will be tweaked a bit. Once everything is finalised and we receive the nod from the union government, we shall float the tender for the 6th time immediately and begin the work.”