MADURAI: The ongoing construction of an additional arm of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose bridge in Madurai is likely to be completed at the end of June, said a senior highways department official.
This pending arm of the bridge project will connect Goripalayam junction and Sellur. The other two stretches - Tamukkam to Goripalayam junction and AV bridge to Nelpettai - have already been completed and were opened for public use in February 2026.
The remaining arm of the bridge from Goripalayam junction to Sellur is 700-metre-long and 8.5-metre-wide. It will function as a one-way carriageway towards Sellur from Goripalayam.
The project also includes bus lay-bys and footpath-cum-drain facilities to ensure safe pedestrian movement, he said.
“Twenty-three out of the 25 bridge decks have already been completed, while works on the remaining two decks are progressing rapidly. The bridge is expected to be opened for public use within a month,” he said.
Officials further said that a vehicular underpass (VUP) will be constructed at the Bibikulam-Gandhi Museum Road junction to facilitate smooth movement of emergency ambulances and reduce congestion on the busy stretch.
“At present, commuters travelling from Goripalayam to Arapalayam or Vilangudi have to use the riverside approach road, and the journey takes nearly 30 minutes during peak hours. Once the Goripalayam-Sellur arm becomes operational, the travel time will reduce to around five minutes,” the official said.
“Vehicle users from Goripalayam can access the new route through the Tamukkam, take the right turn towards the Sellur and continue straight to reach Arapalayam without facing major traffic congestion,” he added.
The entire project, estimated at Rs 213.80 crore, also includes the Goripalayam flyover component.
The other two arms of the bridge provides a direct route from Tamukkam to Nelpettai.
