One arm of flyover opens, traffic eases

Chennai: Chennai-bound commuters can expect smoother travel as one arm of the Singaperumal Koil flyover was opened for public use, reducing congestion at a critical junction where Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road meets the Singaperumal Koil-Sriperumbudur state highway.

The stretch allows vehicles travelling towards Sriperumbudur to bypass a railway level crossing that was for long a bottleneck. The two-lane highway branching from GST Road is a crucial link connecting thousands of employees, students, and daily wagers to Oragadam-Sriperumbudur, home to major automobile and electronics manufacturing units.

Until now, vehicles, after turning left from GST Road, usually faced Railway Gate No. 47 that closes about 20 times a day during working hours. "When the gate shuts, traffic builds up for about 2km, often spilling onto GST Road," said a resident-activist, G Ganesh.

GST Road, connecting Chennai with Chengalpet, was already expanded into an eight-lane corridor to accommodate heavy traffic. However, during peak hours, Sriperumbudur-bound vehicles clog the left-most lane in the Chengalpet-Tambaram direction (towards Chennai) as they attempt to turn left into the narrower state highway. The congestion worsens when hundreds of buses, ferrying workers to factories, educational institutions, and IT parks, block up to two lanes of GST Road. "This not only delays commuters but also impacts emergency services ambulances struggle to reach hospitals in Maraimalai Nagar, Singaperumal Koil, and Chengalpet, affecting patient transportation during critical hours," said Ganesh.

To eliminate waiting at the railway crossing, highways department first announced a railway overbridge project in 2006. However, construction was halted in 2014 due to pending clearances from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The plan was revived when the Chennai Peripheral Road (Mahabalipuram-Ennore Port Corridor) was announced, leading to design modifications and fresh approvals.

The final project, sanctioned at 138.27 crore, includes a rotary flyover with arms facilitating movement in both directions. On Wednesday, highways minister E V Velu inaugurated the first completed arm, allowing vehicles to bypass the railway gate.

The other arm, which will cater to outbound traffic from Chennai towards Singaperumal Koil and Chengalpet, is about 60% complete and is expected to open next year.


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