Construction of new bridge near Railway Junction drags on

Construction of the overbridge near the Railway Junction in the city continues to move at a slow pace and is not likely to be completed before September.

The project was slated to be completed by April 2025. It was formally inaugurated in March 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, but the actual work began only after traffic diversions were enforced in October that year.

The new bridge is built as part of a two-stage project being executed jointly by the Railways and the Highways Department. The first stage was completed in 2023 after much delay in acquisition and alienation of land. Under the second stage, the narrow bridge across the railway lines near the Tiruchi Junction was dismantled and a new one is being built.

The bridge would run between Aristo roundabout and P&T Colony near Mannarpuram. It would include arms leading towards the railway junction and its rear entrance at Kallukuzhi.

While the Railways is building the bridge above the busy Tiruchi-Madurai line, the Highways Department has taken up construction of the approaches at a cost of about ₹16 crore.

Crucial link

With the bridge being a vital link between the Central Bus Stand, Railway Junction, and Mannarpuram areas, especially for public transport, residents have been hoping that the construction would be completed at the earliest.

Although the Highways Department had begun construction of the approach roads towards the Central Bus Stand side, it has not been able to take up work on the Mannarpuram arm running about 400 metres in length.

According to sources in the Highways Department, work on Mannarpuram side is likely to begin after March 15 by which time the Railways is expected to move the materials required for the precast superstructure of the bow string bridge.

From there on, the department would require about six months to complete the approach road. At present, work is under way on building the reinforced earth (RE) wall for the approaches towards the Aristo Junction, the sources said.