120 houses to be removed for steel bridge in Chennai

Families to be Relocated for Steel Bridge Project

A total of 58 families will be moved from the bank of the Buckingham Canal at Thoraipakkam. Additionally, 63 families on patta lands on the Neelankarai side will also be relocated. This is to begin work on a steel bridge that will connect Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR) with the East Coast Road (ECR).

The Highways Department has received all necessary clearances. This includes approvals from the Inland Waterway Authority, a no-objection certificate from the Water Resources Department (WRD), and one from the SEIAA.

Project Details

The six-lane high-level bridge will cost ₹36 crore. It will have a height clearance of four meters from the high tide line. This design allows enough space for boats to pass underneath.

This bridge is part of a larger ₹270 crore project connecting OMR and ECR. It will start from the extension of the Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road and end about 200 meters from the ECR. Land acquisition for the project cost ₹200 crore, while the civil cost for road laying and bridge construction is ₹70 crore.

Relocation Plans

The department has contacted the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board for housing allotments for the 58 families along the Canal on the Thoraipakkam side. These families are on WRD land and will be moved to houses identified by the Board. Each tenement will cost ₹3.5 lakh. The Greater Chennai Corporation has listed the beneficiaries and issued notices. Once these families relocate, the 680-meter-long road will be extended to where the bridge will begin.

On the Neelankarai side, some individuals have gone to court regarding the acquisition of their lands. Orders on this matter have been reserved. A total of 63 houses will be demolished.

Community Response

A. Francis, president of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents’ Welfare Associations, welcomed the new connectivity to the ECR. He emphasized the need for pedestrian facilities on the radial road. “New apartment complexes are already being built along the new road. Foot overbridges with escalators and elevators should be constructed,” he stated.