Citizen Connect: ROB work halts traffic across Villivakkam rly gate for over 2 years, residents lament

Nearly 16 years after the road over bridge (ROB) connecting Kolathur Main Road and Integral Coach Factory Road was proposed, the residents of Villivakkam and Kolathur are still waiting for authorities to complete the project.

With the Level Crossing 1 between Villivakkam and Perambur Loco stations remaining shut for more than two years in connection with the work, the local residents are facing a daily ordeal of traffic snarls at Villivakkam railway subway, which replaced LC-II, during the morning peak hours.

The ROB at a cost of Rs 58.5 crore was proposed to provide seamless connectivity to localities such as Villivakkam, Kolathur, Anna Nagar, GKM Colony, Lakshmipuram and Retteri. Most of the office-goers and students from North Villivakkam, Kolathur and Retteri use the subway to reach the city.

“We don’t know how long the Corporation and Railway authorities will take to complete the construction. The ROB work was supposed to be taken up after the construction of the vehicular subway that replaced LC-II. But, they are inordinately delaying the project. The work remains incomplete for more than two years now with the railway gate remaining closed,” R Muthuragavendran, a resident of Teachers Guild Colony in Villivakkam.

He noted that with the railway gate remaining closed, all vehicles were forced to use the subway, leading to heavy traffic snarls during the peak hours. “The officials should take immediate steps to speed up the ROB work, a long pending demand of the local residents,” he said.

An official of the Greater Chennai Corporation said that the land acquisition delayed the construction of the ROB. “Now, we have finalised the agreement with ICF to acquire the 1,222 sqm land by paying Rs 10 crore as the lease amount for 35 years. We will also pay Rs 1,000 per annum as rent to the ICF,” the official said, adding that the contract would be awarded very soon.

The railway gate witnesses more than 10 lakh Train Vehicle Units and an annual average of 19,000 passenger car units, the official said.