Unfinished flyover in Perungalathur troubles motorists

Ever since mofussil buses from the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) at Koyambedu was routed through the bypass road, traffic at Perungalathur became congested. Considering the traffic pile-up, the State highway authorities and Southern Railway jointly decided to construct a flyover near the Perungalathur railway station.

The project, estimated to cost Rs 78 crore, was expected to help motorists from Perungalathur and Sadhanandapuram reach the GST road without having to pass through the railway crossing.

Following this, the railways closed one of the two level crossings in Perungalathur three years ago and soon finished its portion of the flyover.

However, the Highways department has not yet started its work. As a result, motorists coming from Tambaram are inconvenienced as the level crossing has already been closed. They are forced to travel at least 5 km more and make a U-turn at Vandalur.

“We need to travel an extra distance to reach Perungalathur besides waiting at the railway gate, which usually opens every half an hour,” said Andrew Samuel, a regular commuter.

When contacted, a senior highways department official told DT Next that they are getting ready to start the construction work.