NHAI floats tender to build flyover on NH near Bhel t

TRICHY: In a major relief for Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (Bhel) employees and commuters facing difficulties in crossing the Bhel factory situated on the Trichy-Thanjavur stretch of NH 83 (67 earlier), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has floated a tender to construct a flyover in the vicinity. The elevated structure which is likely to span at least 1.5 km will bypass the entry points of Bhel campus and Ganesa roundabout near Thiruverumbur taluk office, the two major accident-prone spots on the stretch.

With 14,000 people residing in the Bhel township at Kailasapuram on the western side of NH 83, peak hours witness traffic snarls as thousands of employees cross the NH to reach the factory on the eastern side. As minor and major accidents had been happening at the spot, the staff of the public sector undertaking had approached NHAI through their management a few months ago requesting it to erect a flyover on the NH. They said that by bypassing the factory entrance, the safety of employees could be ensured. After NHAI Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in Thanjavur carried out a feasibility study in December, the regional office of NHAI in Madurai on Tuesday floated a tender inviting eligible contractors to construct the flyover at an estimated cost of Rs 49.35 crore. The proposed structure would also help commuters on the NH to skip the Ganesa roundabout built with a faulty design causing vehicles to turn turtle while negotiating the circle.

“The area around Ganesa circle should be constructed with the slope sliding towards the roundabout in a centripetal manner. But it was constructed in a centrifugal manner, with the slope sliding away. The roundabout should be reconstructed irrespective of whether flyover comes or not,” S Pushpavanam, secretary, Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu, told TOI. Sources said that the multi-span flyover is likely to come up for about 1.5 km linking Boiler Plant police station with Thiruverumbur taluk office bypassing both Ganesa roundabout and Bhel factory. “Bhel has agreed to provide us the required land from its side for constructing the flyover. Once the civil work begins, it will take 2 years to complete the flyover,” an official source with NHAI Madurai regional office said. A suitable contractor is expected to be identified within 5 months.

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