The expressway department begins building a bridge near the railway station in Tiruchi Town

Piling work is ongoing on the level of Cauvery Road near the railway station in Tiruchi. |Picture source: M. Moorthy

The state highway department has begun building a bridge on Cauvery Road near the township of Tiruchi.

The overpass at a high-rise crossing between the town railway station on the Srirangam and Tiruchi-Chennai chord was approved in August 2022. Although the state government granted administrative sanctions for construction of Rs 23.45 crore, the land acquisition problem extends the project.

The overpass will be shared by the highway department and railway construction at 50:50. The overpass is about 750 meters long and is scheduled to be completed in July next year. This would be a huge relief for local residents who were angry that the railway gates were often closed in busy parts.

The fair marking is on Cauvery Road from the Odathurai Road branch on the south bank of Cauvery and connects East Boulevard Road to Thanjavur Road in Gandhi Market/City. The Odathurai Highway leads to the Chathiram Bus Stand and Cauvery bridges on one side and bypasses the Tiruchi-Chennai bypass on the other side.

Local resident Ibrahim Shah said: “Whenever the gates are closed, the railway traffic on the route is heavy and the traffic is high. We hope that the highway and railway will complete the project together as soon as possible. Once completed, the road will provide an effective alternative route to the Gandhi market.”

The construction of the overpass requires the acquisition of approximately 5,612 square meters of private land. According to sources from the highway department, the land acquisition process has been completed except for one property. The department owns the acquired land. Some concrete structures on the acquired properties are removed.