Coimbatore: Chief minister Edappadi K Palanisamy inaugurated the Podanur Rail Overbridge on Monday.
Constructed at a cost of Rs 22.6 crore by the highways department and the railway, the bridge will benefit commuters on Podanur-Chettipalayam and Vellalore Road. Commuters had been complaining of delay caused by the railway gates on the stretch that are closed several times a day.
“We were getting a lot of requests from the public and commuters to construct a bridge. It was also becoming a safety concern with impatient commuters bypassing the gate,” said a highway official. “Once they construct the pedestrian subway, the railway will close the gates permanently,” she said.
The 533m bridge extends from the Railway Kalyana Mandapam in Podanur to Vellalore Pirivu. It crosses the newly-converted Podanur-Pollachi track and the Podanur-Palakkad track. The construction began in December 2015.
