TIRUCHY: The construction of a road overbridge (RoB) Phase II across the railway tracks near Tiruchy Junction has gained pace, as railway authorities have completed 70% of the fabrication work of bowstring girders, which are to be installed above the tracks connecting the Aristo roundabout with the Mannarpuram approach roads.
The State Highways Department and the Railways jointly commenced the construction of the RoB near Tiruchy railway junction to ease traffic congestion in 2024, after dismantling the old narrow RoB across the busy Tiruchy-Madurai section. Unlike Phase I of the RoB, the railways have opted for a bowstring girder, as it can be largely pre-assembled on the ground near the site and launched above the tracks in a single operation.
Officials said the design efficiently distributes heavy loads across the structure, improving durability, they added. The bowstring girder is being fabricated with a length of 58 metres and a width of 15.30 metres, including a 10.5-metre road portion and a 1.5-metre pedestrian pathway. According to officials from the Tiruchy Railway Division, 70% of the fabrication of bowstring girders has been completed, while work on the Mannarpuram-side approach road is yet to begin.
The railway portion of the project, involving the construction of two pillars on either side of the tracks and fabrication of bowstring girders, has been executed at Rs 5 crore, officials said. Based on the consent of the State Highways Department, the girders will be positioned above the tracks, they added.
The State Highways Department is also executing the project at an estimated cost of Rs 16 crore. SH official sources said that the work on the Mannarpuram side will be taken up after completion of the ongoing approach road on the Aristo side.
