Chennai: Motorists travelling through Kaaliamman Koil Street may soon find relief during peak hours, as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) plans to widen the bridge across the Virugambakkam–Arumbakkam Canal to ease traffic flow and improve connectivity. Undertaken at Greater Chennai Corporation’s request, the project is also expected to improve stormwater flow during the monsoon as the height of the bridge will also be raised. The existing bridge has long been considered a bottleneck, narrowing traffic movement despite wider adjoining roads and causing congestion during peak hours.On Saturday, CMRL awarded a 12.31-crore contract for the demolition and reconstruction of the bridge to Thomas Iyadurai Infrastructure Private Limited, with the project scheduled for completion within six months, said a release. The existing bridge will be demolished and replaced with a wider structure designed to match the current four-lane road configuration.CMRL is constructing a 3.5km elevated metro line along Kaaliamman Koil Street as part of the 44.6km corridor 5 of Phase-2, which runs from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur. This stretch is expected to be completed by March next year. Officials earlier said the proposed bridge will be 24.73m long and 24m wide, with the central road level raised to 11.35m. The bridge’s height will be increased by 1.26m, increasing the canal’s water-carrying capacity by 1,216cum. The existing structure is 19m long and 14.86m wide, with a central road level of 10.09m. “Driving on Kaaliamman Koil Street during peak hours is a nightmare. CMRL barricades block parts of the road, and the bridge is too narrow for two cars to cross at the same time,” said S Sundar, a Virugambakkam resident.The Virugambakkam–Arumbakkam Canal runs for about 6.4km through Virugambakkam, Arumbakkam and Aminjikarai before joining the Cooum River. It has 28 bridges for vehicle crossing. As part of flood mitigation works, GCC earlier desilted 100,000cum along the canal and built a 1,490m retaining wall. It also identified 12 bridges that obstruct water flow during the monsoon for demolition and reconstruction.
