The Highways Department will soon commence the construction of a foot overbridge (FOB) near the Nelson Manickam Road junction on Poonamallee High Road. The facility, which will help hundreds of people cross the extremely busy road, will have escalators and lifts on either side, Highways Department sources said.
“We expect work to commence by the end of December end or start of January after the monsoon and end in a year. The FOB will help reduce accidents at the spot, since it will help pedestrians cross safely. It will make travel faster on the stretch since motorists will not have to stop for pedestrians to cross,” added the source.
On average, around 1,300 pedestrians cross the six-lane road in an hour during rush hour. The highest peak hour passenger car unit witnessed on the stretch is over 22,800, and over 1.25 lakh vehicles use the road on a daily basis. No land acquisition will be necessary for the FOB, which will cost ₹14.35 crore to construct. Tenders have already been floated.
Long overdue facility
The facility was announced by the government in 2022 since there was a long-pending demand for a pedestrian walkway at the spot. Traffic pours in from several sides at the spot, including the flyover from Anna Nagar. There is also a free left turn to Nelson Manickam Road, making crossing very difficult, a traffic expert said.
Sekar, a resident of Aminjikarai, said since the area was very a busy one, with hundreds of commercial establishments, an FOB was very necessary. A subway or an FOB will also help near Aminjikarai market, where pedestrians move around in large numbers, he added.
