Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday inaugurated the 500-metre-long “Mayor Chittibabu” bridge connecting Kolathur Main Road on the north with ICF Road on the south, constructed at a cost of ₹61.98 crore.
The bridge, which was a long–pending demand of the people of the Kolathur Assembly constituency, represented by the Chief Minister, is expected to significantly reduce the travel time, especially for those commuting between Kolathur and Anna Nagar.
Addressing the public after inaugurating the bridge, Mr. Stalin, who is the MLA of Kolathur constituency, traced the long journey taken to construct the bridge. He said steps were taken in 2014 when he was the MLA and the AIADMK was in power. He said he approached the then Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and persuaded him to allocate ₹7.35 crore for the project.
After considerable delay and his consistent follow-up, although the foundation stone was laid in 2019 with the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Southern Railway agreeing to equally share the cost, Mr. Stalin said the work was not expedited. He said the work picked up pace only after the present DMK government came to power.
He said it was the DMK that always focussed on infrastructure development, especially construction of bridges, in Chennai. He recalled how he planned for 10 bridges when he was the Mayor and finished nine of them ahead of time while saving ₹33 crore in the project cost.
He said the remaining one bridge in Perambur could be completed because of the determination of the late DMK leader and Union Minister Murasoli Maran. Owing to delay during the AIADMK rule between 2001 and 2006, he said the bridge was inaugurated after the DMK came to power in 2006.
He said he chose the name of C. Chittibabu, former Mayor, with gratitude for the bridge as it was he who saved him from the police brutality by taking the beatings on his behalf when they were lodged in prison during the Emergency.
He laid the foundation stone for a new substation in Ganesh Nagar and for a few projects of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Greater Chennai Corporation in the Assembly constituency.
