Corpn finalises 6 new bridges to connect ECR and OMR

A Greater Chennai Corporation engineer said that a meeting was held at Ripon Building on Wednesday, in which the feasibility of constructing new bridges was discussed. “Existing bridges linking ECR and OMR are so narrow that only a car can pass through at a time. Due to this, traffic snarls occur in areas along the two roads,” the engineer said.

The Chennai Corporation has conducted a soil test to demolish existing narrow bridges and construct new bridges across the Buckingham Canal to connect ECR and OMR.

The new bridges would be built in a way to connect Elango Nagar – Venkatesapuram, Elango Nagar – Gandhi Street, Veeramani Salai – Maniammai Salai, Estate Main Road – Maniammai Street, Anna Nagar – Pandian Salai and Subramaniya Nagar – Masjid Street. The new bridges would come up between Kottivakkam and Neelangarai. The estimates for the project will be prepared after the detailed project report is prepared.

Presently, there are only three major links between Tiruvanmiyur and Navallur that connect OMR and ECR. Of the three, two are located at Tiruvanmiyur and are close to each other, separated by a distance of only 700 metres. The third link – Sholinganallur Main Road – is about 10 km away from the other two.

Among the existing narrow bridges that would be demolished for new bridges, Anna Nagar – Pandian Salai bridge carries an estimated 10,831 passenger car unit (PCU), while Veeramani Salai – Maniammai Salai bridge has 7,414 PCU. “The bridges will have two lanes to ease the traffic flow, and will provide easy connectivity between the two roads,” an official said.

Apart from the bridges proposed by the Chennai Corporation, Highway Department has also a proposal to build a bridge across the Buckingham Canal at near Neelankarai. If the department goes ahead with the plan to build the bridge, the civic body would drop two bridges that it has proposed in Neelankarai.

Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL) had appointed a private consultant to study the area and to prepare a detailed project report (DPR). In addition, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) also conducting a study to transport facilities along OMR and ECR.

Meanwhile, the civic body had prepared a DPR to construct two new bridges across Adyar river to connect Nesapakkam and Nandambakkam. As per the DPR, the bridges would come in Dr Kanu Nagar and Defence Colony.