New bridge to come up across Palar River at Sevilimedu

The Highways Department is preparing the estimate for the construction of a bridge across the Palar River at Sevilimedu on the Kancheepuram-Vandavasi SH 116 which provides connectivity to areas including Walajahbad, Oragadam, Padappai and Vandalur.

The 900-metre-long bridge is to come up adjacent to an existing one which is two lanes wide. “The proposed one too will be two lanes wide so that one bridge can be used for outbound traffic and the other, in the opposite direction,” explained an official.

The bridge is likely to cost around ₹100 crore and take 18 months to construct. Since the road is being widened to four lanes, it is pertinent that more lanes be added. There has been a long-pending demand from local residents for widening the existing bridge or constructing a new one, the source said.

Chitra Sankar, a resident of Sevilimedu, who takes the existing bridge to work, said that traffic snarls were common. “Hundreds of heavy vehicles carrying blue metal from nearby quarries use the bridge daily, causing the motorists to slow down. Sometimes wewait for over 20 minutes just to cross that bridge. Dust from the trucks also causes a lot of pollution in our area,” she said.

An existing causeway across the Palar River, which is being used by residents to reach the facility where last rites are performed, will also be restored. The road surface will be renewed.

Kancheepuram MLA C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan said that the issue relating to the bridge had been raised in the State Assembly and the Highways Minister had also given word that it would be constructed. This bridge was constructed 25 years ago and due to several companies coming up in the surrounding areas, traffic had considerably increased over the years, he said.