More than a decade ago, when the MIT flyover was constructed, the residents of Chromepet were elated. Apart from ensuring speedy commute, the flyover was touted to have a park below, giving a big boost to the greenery in the locality. However, today, the bridge is in urgent need of repair and landscaping.
The fencing was damaged during Cyclone Vardah
Chennai:
V Santhanam, president, Federation of Civic and Welfare Association of Pallavaram and Chromepet and a civic activist pointed out that the bridge has been a neglected space for many years now. “The Highways Department has done nothing except putting a grill around it. Soon after Cyclone Vardah, the grille was blown away and the steel rods have been left exposed, too. Over a period of time, some rods have gone missing from the fence.”
He added that the neglected part of the bridge has been turned into a public toilet, cattle shed and dump yard. “I have been writing to the Highways Department since the time the grill collapsed after the cyclone,” he said.
The residents also said that the bridge which is being maintained by different divisions in the Highways Department (namely Tambaram and Saidapet) is inconsistent in appearance. Santhanam said, “The Nehru Nagar side has a concrete fencing, while the Western side of it on GST Road maintained by the Saidapet division lacks maintenance. Only the sand accumulated on the corner of the road is being cleared regularly. And why should the maintenance of one structure vary in different places.” He said that the only work of maintenance is the occasional painting of the structure.
The bridge links East and West Chromepet, replacing an old railway crossing, and sees a large traffic movement on a daily basis. For the last few years, the MIT Bridge has been in news for lack of maintenance. In June this year, visible cracks on the MIT Bridge near Nehru Nagar shocked residents in and around the locality who sought prompt action by the authorities in the Highways Department.
A source from the Highways Department, Saidapet Division, admitted that there was a constant issue of dumping and open urination at the spot. “We have been cleaning the space, time and again. We are going to be fencing the area to prevent the issue from recurring. We have made a proposal for the work and it would be implemented soon. However, landscaping will be taken only at the next level,” added the source.