CHENNAI: State highways minister E V Velu has set December 31 as the deadline for his department officials to complete construction of Velachery and Medavakkam flyovers.
After reviewing progress of five different highway infrastructure projects in and around Chennai on Sunday, Velu said, “I have urged contractors and highway authorities to finish works without further delay”.
Velachery flyover is under construction at an estimated cost of ?108 crore since 2016. The flyover has two arms connecting Velachery Bypass Road with Tambaram and Taramani. In Medavakkam, one arm of the flyover was opened to the public in February ahead of the state assembly polls. But the second arm, which is the longest flyover arm in the city, is still pending. Both the pending projects in Chennai’s southern suburbs threw traffic movement out of gear. Roughly 1.2 lakh motorists use Velachery-Tambaram Road every day.
Inordinate delay and poor maintenance work has irked Medavakkam and Velachery residents. Roads below the construction site are covered with potholes, bumps and gravel, and a lot of dust is kicked up every time a heavy vehicle passes by, said Sai Kumar, a residentactivist from Medavakkam. “The roads have also become unsafe for two-wheeler riders as they tend to skid a lot during rainy days. There are not enough barricades or lighting too,” he added.
The minister also reviewed works at Chrompet (Radha Nagar subway), Koyambedu (Flyover) and Tambaram (foot overbridge). These projects are expected to get over by March, August and October 2021 respectively, he said, attributing the delay to land acquisition issues. He told reporters a special officer will be designated to deal with land acquisition and avoid such delays.
