Thiruvanaikovil bridge to be completed soon

Amidst increasing resentment among residents of Thiruvanaikovil and Srirangam over the traffic problems arising out of the closure of the Thiruvanaikovil trunk road where a new road overbridge is coming up, Collector K. Rajamani on Friday said that the bridge would be completed and opened for traffic soon.

The new road overbridge (ROB) is being built across the railway track at Periyar Nagar on Thiruvanaikovil Trunk Road in the city. The project was sanctioned by the government in 2011, but construction began only in 2016.

The four-lane ROB, being executed at an estimated ₹47 crore, is being constructed at after old the narrow two-lane bridge was demolished.

However, the closure of the arterial road connecting Srirangam with the rest of the district has necessitated extensive traffic diversions. It has also resulted in heavy congestion in and around Srirangam town and residents have been pressing for the early completion of the bridge.

The ROB will run for a distance of about 1,430 metre and have a width of 17.20 metres. The bridge would also have an arm towards the Kallanai Road. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, a public sector undertaking, had taken up construction of the bridge portion across the tracks.

Construction of the work had gathered pace over the past few months. Mr.Rajamani, after an inspection of the progress of construction, said 85% of the work has been completed and the ROB was on the verge of completion. “The bridge will be open for public use soon,”he affirmed.

A subway has already been constructed at the site and service lanes have to be laid.The project was scheduled to be completed by January.

Source