The Public Works Department (PWD) is in the process of shifting the alignment of the main drinking water pipelines from Muthurayarpalayam along the arterial Kamaraj Salai to facilitate Uppar Bridge construction connecting Maraimalai Adigal Salai with Kamaraj Salai.
The city’s drinking water requirements, particularly the Boulevard region, were met from Muthurayarapalayam pumping station on the outskirts. The water was supplied through pipelines up to a distance of 8 km to the city from where it branched out to the north zone in Muthialpet and south zone in Uppalam.
A senior PWD official said that the existing alignment of water pipelines on a particular stretch of Kamaraj Salai had to be shifted since the road had to be widened at the junction from where it would branch out. The main pipelines with a diameter of 525 metres were being shifted to the new alignment. The work started 15 days ago and was nearing completion. A portion of the lines would be shifted to specifically enable the bridge construction, he said.
Road overbridge
Sources said that work on the construction of a road overbridge on the Uppar drain connecting Kamaraj Salai from Balaji theatre junction to Newtone theatre on Maraimalai Adigal Salai was progressing as per schedule.
The bridge was likely to be thrown open to traffic from December 2018. The project on completion was expected to ease traffic congestion from Anna Salai to Cuddalore Road.
“Though the project was conceived in 2007 the work was suspended in 2008 owing to administrative reasons and non-availability of funds. The project was postponed and the cost escalated to ₹43.15 crore and was now funded by the Housing and Urban Development Corporation.
The 7.3-km-long bridge would have a two-lane road with 7.5 m carriage way for vehicles and 1.5 m raised footpaths on either side with service ducts below the footpath. Over 80 per cent of the pile foundation had been completed and the works were progressing as per schedule.
The overbridge on completion would reduce traffic congestion from Kamaraj Salai to Maraimalai Adigal Salai. The PWD had also proposed to extend the bridge from Newtone Theatre to Colas Nagar in Uppalam in the second phase.
The location of a railway line on the stretch remains a bottle neck and the PWD was planning to do a survey for the second phase.
