Highways dept plans foot-over bridge near Anna Arch to help pedestrians

CHENNAI: In a bid to ensure free flow of traffic and for the sake of pedestrians’s safety, the state highways department is taking up construction of a foot-over bridge (FOB) at the Nelson Manickam Road, EVR Periyar Salai junction near Ampa Mall, with escalators and elevators facilities at a cost of Rs 14.53 crore. Tenders have been floated for the project.

The EVR Periyar Salai, also known as Poonamallee High Road, is an important arterial road in the city, which experiences heavy traffic all through the day, especially the junction with Nelson Manickam Road.

This puts pedestrians at risk, apart from helping motorists cross the stretch with ease. A grade separator passes at the busy Junction towards Anna Nagar Arch in the West and towards Nungambakkam in the South above Nelson Manickam Road, making the junction clog during peak hours.

According to the highways department officials, safe crossing of pedestrians had become the biggest challenge even with a pedestrian signal phase available at this signalised at-grade intersection.

“Especially when there is overcrowding of pedestrians crossing this junction during peak hours, it results in traffic congestion and delays. The peak hour pedestrian traffic rate at this location at present is 1,302 (which is on a very high side),” the official said.

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Plan wing of the Highways Department has floated a tender to construct the FOB on EVR Periyar Salai adjacent to the junction. The Foot over Bridge will have facilities such as escalators and elevators to climb up and get down.

The proposed FOB consists of a 5.8 m wide clear walkway width with 47.70m length across the carriageway. It will have 3.2 m wide stairs on either side of the carriageway, up and down escalators, and one elevator on either side of the carriageway. A ramp will be provided for differently abled at the entrance of lifts.

The highways department has planned to install CCTV surveillance cameras to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

Tender documents show the department will also install a public addressing system to make key announcements and play songs to engage people. The work is to be completed in 12 months from the award of the contract.