Reconstruction of Fort station bridge to begin soon

TIRUCHI

The long-delayed reconstruction of the 156-year-old Fort station railway overbridge (RoB) in Tiruchi is set to begin soon.

The Corporation will coordinate with Southern Railway to demolish and expand the British-era RoB that connects commercial streets, archaeological and religious places of interest in the city. The State government sanctioned about ₹36 crore in August last year for the reconstruction project, and another ₹36 crore was allotted by the railways, raising the total amount to ₹72 crore.

“Work to demolish and reconstruct the bridge will begin within a month and it is expected to be completed within a year,” said a senior Corporation official.

As the bridge, built in 1866 weakened, the authorities in June 2018 had planned to replace it. The detailed project report prepared by the railways said that ₹44.3 crore was rrequired for its demolition and redevelopment. Later the estimation was revised to ₹72 crore. There are plans to establish service roads and widen the RoB without any major land acquisition.

According to the residents, any sudden damage to the bridge resulting in closure for traffic would make matters worse as the traffic diversions in place due to the closure of Cauvery bridge for maintenance is already troubling residents.

Residents raised concerns over the safety of the bridge as it is already weakened by the cracks developed during heavy rains in 2020. Subsequently, a portion of the approach road of the bridge caved in due to continuous and heavy traffic, requiring extensive repairs.

Officials stated that regular inspections and monitoring of the bridge are being carried out.