A section of the U-shaped flyover on Rajiv Gandhi Salai close to Tidel Park junction is almost complete with painting, putting up of lamp posts and electrical fittings carrying on at present.
Sources from Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), which is executing the project, said that the flyover’s arm had been all but completed. “We waited for the rain to stop so we could lay a bituminous tar layer for about 250 meters. This was for both approach ramps,” said one source.
This arm will take not less than three months to be completed, as it lands on CSIR Road that goes perpendicular to IT Corridor. This is because of several problems regarding service utilities passing beneath the road. “There is a power substation nearby and over 40 large-sized cables of 110 KVA and 230 KVA run from there to the IT companies in the area. We had a similar problem while constructing both the approach ramps for this flyover. When we cut open the road, we found bunches and bunches of cables that had to be slowly moved aside to facilitate construction. There were atleast three major cable cuts during that time and repairs had to be carried out,” explained an engineer associated with the project.
The company also plans on dismantling and reconstructing storm water drains in order to cater for larger volumes in future.
This is just one more U-turn flyover located along this road and another one exists closer near Indira Nagar MRTS Station which enables people coming from Tidel Park Junction who wish to access ECR, Indira Nagar, Adyar among other places reach Indira Nagar bridge thus reducing waiting time at Tidel Park Junction.
Thoraipakkam resident Suresh Subramaniam claimed that he greatly benefited from using this U-turn flyover. “Pedestrians should also be provided with facilities near these two flyovers. The Traffic Police must take care of the SRP Tools Junction where the Metro rail work has just begun, as it is now left with only four lanes for vehicular movement,” he suggested.