Traffic congestion
Over a lakh commuters and motorists face daily traffic snarls on the Pattabiram road-over-bridge (ROB) on the Chennai-Tirupati highway, as only one arm of the bridge remains open two years after the project’s inauguration
Incomplete bridge
The ROB connects the Pattabiram–Thiruninravur stretch. One arm towards Thiruninravur opened on Sept 25, but the second arm for traffic in the opposite direction, scheduled to be completed last year, is still unfinished.
Narrow operational arm
The open arm is 5.5m wide with three lanes, used for two-way traffic with a temporary median. The bridge was designed as a 780m-long, 11m-wide six-lane structure to replace the level crossing near Pattabiram railway station.
Project cost
The state govt had allocated Rs 78.35 crore in 2022 for the project, which has been spent. Yet, vehicles are forced to pass through a narrow stretch, causing traffic jams, vehicle breakdowns, and accidents.
Lack of service roads
Commuters report worsening congestion as buses, cars, and heavy vehicles use the flyover even for U-turns due to missing service roads and the absence of a roundabout.
Additional funds sanctioned
The government has now approved an extra Rs 13.5 crore to complete the remaining portion of the ROB, aiming to ease traffic congestion in the area.
Residents’ concerns
A Roy Rosario, founder of People’s Voice, Pattabiram, said,“Most of the buses to Tirupati via Tiruvallur and Tiruttani use this route. There’s no roundabout near the flyover, which is another cause for congestion. Highways officials should sort it out at the earliest. In the initial RTI response I got, the highways dept specified that a roundabout will be provided after land acquisition. But, in the response to the RTI filed last year, the department said no money was allocated as the roundabout is not part of the project.”