COIMBATORE: The prolonged delay in the completion of the SIHS Colony Rail Overbridge (ROB) has angered locals and motorists in and around the Singanallur, SIHS Colony and Ondipudur areas in Coimbatore city.
The completion of the 700-metre-long ROB being constructed by the State Highways Department is now expected only in August this year though it was to be ready by April.
The department sources said 90% of the work on the Rs 55-crore project is over. However, its completion has been delayed once again as the works are being carried out at a snail's pace.
The ROB between Ondipudur and SIHS colony was announced by the then-Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in November 2010 for an outlay of Rs 19.24 cr. Tenders were called for, and the State Highways Department planned to start the work. However, after the regime change in 2011, the works were halted. The project was revived in 2013, and the budget was revised to Rs 21.16 cr.
The project stalled once again due to issues in land acquisition for the service road. As landowners moved for legal proceedings, the project was put on hold. Though the department completed 70% of the work, including 90% of the bridge construction, it was delayed due to negotiations and compensation for the landowners over land acquisitions. Based on the court's direction, the highway department started to lay roads after settling the compensation to the landowners.
After DMK came back to power, the government allocated Rs 29.4 cr more for the land acquisition process in September 2021. A sum of
Rs 29.37 cr was allotted for land acquisition, and a compensation of Rs 28.37 cr has been settled with all 63 landowners. The bridge work resumed in February 2023 after a delay of 10 long years, added the sources.
As the project was progressing at a rapid pace, the work once again got suspended during the Pongal festival in January this year. After the festival, the works were completely stopped, once again delaying the project's completion, which has raised concerns among the locals and motorists. Although the works were resumed later, the work is being carried out at a snail's pace now.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior official from the State Highways Department in Coimbatore Division said, "All the major works of the flyover project, including the pier, deck slabs and BT roads, have now been completed. Only the approach road to the flyover on the Ondipudur side is pending.
Also, one of the two retaining walls for the ramp on the Ondipudur side is finished, and only one side of the wall remains to be constructed. Once constructed, curing of the concrete wall will take at least a month. So far, we have completed over 90% of the project work and will finish the project completely by August this year."