CHENNAI: Will the Broken Bridge lying in neglect between Foreshore Estate and MRC Nagar and Adyar be reconstructed as a pedestrian-cum-cyclist-only bridge or a fullfledged vehicular bridge?
This was the subject matter before a division bench of the Madras high court, where the the corporation said it favoured a pedestrian-cum-cyclist facility as it would cost only a third of that needed for a full-fledged bridge. “It would cost ₹411crore to build a vehicular bridge. But a facility for pedestrians and cyclists would cost ₹229 crore,” additional advocate general S R Rajagopal said.
However, the bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and M S Ramesh said, “The difference between ₹411crore and ₹229crore is not much. But a vehicular bridge would be more beneficial to the public. We would get a better road and a beautiful connection between two parts of the city.” The bench said, it would reduce the congestion on main roads.
The court then directed Rajagopal to get instructions from the state government as it is the final authority to take a decision on the issue.
In February last, the court underscored the bridge’s potential to emerge as an alternative route to the entire stretch of Santhome High Road and Greenways Road, up to Besant Nagar beach, and asked the corporation to explore the possibility of building a wide road connecting Marina Loop Road to Besant Nagar, via the Broken Bridge, to reduce traffic. “It seems the existing connecting road from Loop Road to Besant Nagar, which is said to have been destroyed in the floods of the 1970s or so, still exists in a damaged condition,” the court noted while suggesting the corporation to explore the possibilities of recreating the link.
This will not only create alternative roads to reduce the burden of traffic on the beach road via DGS Dinakaran Road to Adyar up to the airport, but also provide alternate suitable motorable road for traffic, the court then observed.
At present, the two arterial roads get choked during rush hours. A survey of traffic movement on DGS Dinakaran Road and Durgabai Deshmukh Road by the traffic police in early 2019 had found that 32,353 vehicles ply between 5pm and 8pm. During peak morning hours, about 26,120 vehicles use the stretch that connects Adyar and Fort St George.