Saidapet-Teynampet stretch of Anna Salai flyover completed

Chennai: A crucial stretch of the long-awaited Anna Salai flyover has begun taking shape. The state highways department has completed the construction of the 1.5-km stretch from Saidapet to CIT Nagar. The flyover, being built at a cost of 621 crore, will span 3.2km, and is aimed at easing chronic congestion along one of Chennai's busiest arterial roads. The department has placed more than 50 out of the 91 piers, while pre-fabricated spans transported from Mumbai and Gujarat have also been installed. An 80-metre bituminous macadam (asphalt) approach road from Saidapet was built, after which a concrete road was laid until CIT Nagar.On the other stretch, from Nandanam to Teynampet, the highways department has only begun placing pillars, and it may take another four months to see visible progress, officials said. They added that the process of replacing a 230kV underground electric line was only recently completed.The shortest span of the flyover is 11m, while the longest is 30m. "We increased the number of workers from 300 to 600 by hiring people from West Bengal. Out of the 91 pillars, about 69 will come right above the metro corridor. Metrorail already laid the foundation and gave a supporting structure to fit the foundation of the highways flyover. Metro's foundation can withstand 1,000 tonnes weight," said a state highways department official.Officials said barricades have been removed from Saidapet to CIT Nagar in most stretches, and U-turns were provided at two spots near the Jones Road junction.G Kamesh, a resident of Saidapet, said congestion peaks at T Nagar in the evenings. "They have to fast-track the project as the diversion in Teynampet via Cenotaph Road and in T Nagar via Theagaraya Salai is causing bottlenecks—these stretches aren't meant for buses and lorries. Barely any progress has happened beyond Nandanam," he said.