After multiple delays, vehicular subway at Radha Nagar in Chromepet may be completed by the end of this month
The Hindu
Vehicular subway at Radha Nagar to ease access to GST Road, nearing completion after years of delays.
In 2006, a vehicular subway was planned at Radha Nagar to enable residents of East Chromepet to access Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road easily while avoiding the risky and inconvenient level crossing 27. According to a Right to Information (RTI) petition, the approximate date of completion will be the end of this month.
The project, estimated to cost ₹17.65 crore, is about 75% complete, with the State Highways Department being responsible for the pending work. According to the department, the pending work involves the shifting of the escalator on railway land, altering the pillars of the foot overbridge, and construction of storm-water drains and a footpath on railway land.
V. Santhanam, social activist, said: “This project has been going on for decades. Changes in government, land disputes, and railway clearance have caused delays. The railways completed their part, but the State Highways Department is still working and are likely to complete the work this month. To speed up the work, many welfare associations have staged protests.”
In the reply to Mr. Santhanam’s RTI petition, C. Ayyadurai, Public Information Officer and Divisional Engineer of Highways, said the tentative completion date of the project was July 31, and the original date of completion was December 2021. One of the reasons cited for the delay was the shifting of a communication cable.
D. Guru Subramanian, 30, of Radha Nagar said there were frequent traffic snarls at level crossing 27 and on GST Road because of the ongoing construction. He added that the subway’s completion would benefit a lot of pedestrians and light vehicles.