Indira Nagar bridge by May-end

CHENNAI: A four-lane bridge across the Buckingham Canal near Indira Nagar MRTS station, connecting Rajiv Gandhi Salai with Lattice Bridge Road, is expected to be completed by May-end.
When completed, the bridge, replacing the three-decade-old iron structure, is expected to ease traffic congestion at the Lattice Bridge Road junction in Tiruvanmiyur.
For years, the narrow iron bridge was an important gateway to Adyar and beyond for hundreds of pedestrians and two-wheelers from Taramani, Kanagam, Indira Nagar and other areas.In November 2009, the structure collapsed when a bricks-laden lorry tried to pass through. Three persons were injured in the incident.
Soon after the accident, the Chennai Corporation's bridges department floated tenders for the four-lane bridge.
"The four-lane bridge, essential to ease congestion in this part, will be opened by May-end," mayor M Subramanian told the Times of India on Thursday. The local body had originally planned a flyover-cum-subway at the nearby LB Road junction because it believed there was an urgent need to regulate the heavy flow of vehicles from East Coast Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai. That project has, as of now, been shelved due to the high cost involved in acquiring land. "It has been estimated that the project will cost Rs 120 crore, a major portion of which would have to be allocated for acquiring lands. The new government has to decide," Subramanian added.
The narrow LB Road is a nightmare for motorists. "It is an appalling sight everyday. Hundreds of motorists are caught in the traffic snarls in the vital intersection during the peak period," says P Pandurangan of Madipakkam. From May-end, motorists from Adyar need no longer travel up to the LB Road junction. The Indira Nagar bridge will help them reach Rajiv Gandhi salai in minutes.
Earlier, the corporation had extended the contract of the firm building the bridge after it experienced problems getting gravel from quarries in neighbouring districts. "Due to the model code of conduct in force, government quarries were shut down and hence the delay," a corporation official said. At least 100 loads of gravel are required.
The Indira Nagar bridge will be 19.2 m long and 19.5 m wide. "The girders and deckslabs are complete and approach roads using bitumen will be laid off Indira Nagar Second Avenue and Rajiv Gandhi Salai soon," contractors said. The Rs 3 crore bridge will be the seventh traffic project of the DMK-led corporation council. Flyovers at Cenotaph Road, G N Chetty Road, South Usman Road and North Usman Road, a bridge replacing a causeway at Saidapet and a subway at Jones Road were inaugurated in the last five years.