Two new subways soon onbusy Guindy-airport stretch
The corporation special officer's council, which granted project approval, noted that Southern Railway had approached the civic body in December 2016 but confusion over the permit-granting authority caused a delay. "The superintending engineer (bridges and roads) thought it was under the ambit of the district collector," the council document said.
The Kancheepuram collector clarified that the projects required approval from the local body.
TNN | Updated: Oct 2, 2017, 23:55 IST
Chennai: Southern Railway will construct two subways — one pedestrian-only facility; the other for two-wheelers — between Guindy and Meenambakkam railway stations to replace level crossings (LCs) on the busy stretch.
Railways officials pressed ahead with the plan after Greater Chennai Corporation recently granted approval to the shutting down of the two level crossings, LC14 and LC18.
LC14, which connects Velachery Road and City Link Road near the Maduvinkarai flyover, will make way for a pedestrian subway. The two-wheeler vehicular subwaywill replace LC18, which connects GST Road (via the Airport Authority staff quarters) and College Road in Nanganallur.
Railways and corporation officials decided to close the level crossings on the recommendation of the Alandur tehsildar, who identified the stretch as accident-prone.
Traffic jams were frequent at both spots due to a sharp rise in vehicular density over a decade, till the St Thomas Mount and Meenambakkam subways opened. But people with two-wheelers still prefer to cross the level crossings instead of using the subways (or the Maduvinkarai flyover) as that involves a detour of 500m.
The corporation's engineers in April led a team with Metrowater, TNEB and Southern Railway representatives on a joint inspection of the sites to evaluate the feasibility of the projects. The team found that the soil at LC14 was not conducive for a subway slope. "Metrowater's 600mm sewerage line, a drinking water main and storm water drains run alongside the road," an official said.
"During the 2015 floods, the level crossing helped me get home when all nearby subways — at Meenambakkam, Pazhavanthangal, Thillai Ganga Nagar and St Thomas Mount — were flooded," said Madipakkam resident G Murugesan, who rides a motorcycle.
The railways still needs approval from Airports Authority of India to go ahead with the subway at LC18, because it will require a parcel of land from the AAI housing quarters to complete the structure.
Southern Railway did not respond to queries by TOI on the cost of the projects.
LATEST COMMENT Complete the 500 meter MRTS link pending which will make operational Velachery/ Mount MRTS link which will benefit kakhs of commuters and give link from Koimbedu-- Mylapore through Metro/MRTS and hu... Read MoreGopalarathnam Krishna Prasad
Chennai: Southern Railway will construct two subways — one pedestrian-only facility; the other for two-wheelers — between Guindy and Meenambakkam railway stations to replace level crossings (LCs) on the busy stretch.
Railways officials pressed ahead with the plan after Greater Chennai Corporation recently granted approval to the shutting down of the two level crossings, LC14 and LC18.
LC14, which connects Velachery Road and City Link Road near the Maduvinkarai flyover, will make way for a pedestrian subway. The two-wheeler vehicular subwaywill replace LC18, which connects GST Road (via the Airport Authority staff quarters) and College Road in Nanganallur.
Railways and corporation officials decided to close the level crossings on the recommendation of the Alandur tehsildar, who identified the stretch as accident-prone.
Traffic jams were frequent at both spots due to a sharp rise in vehicular density over a decade, till the St Thomas Mount and Meenambakkam subways opened. But people with two-wheelers still prefer to cross the level crossings instead of using the subways (or the Maduvinkarai flyover) as that involves a detour of 500m.
The corporation's engineers in April led a team with Metrowater, TNEB and Southern Railway representatives on a joint inspection of the sites to evaluate the feasibility of the projects. The team found that the soil at LC14 was not conducive for a subway slope. "Metrowater's 600mm sewerage line, a drinking water main and storm water drains run alongside the road," an official said.
"During the 2015 floods, the level crossing helped me get home when all nearby subways — at Meenambakkam, Pazhavanthangal, Thillai Ganga Nagar and St Thomas Mount — were flooded," said Madipakkam resident G Murugesan, who rides a motorcycle.
The railways still needs approval from Airports Authority of India to go ahead with the subway at LC18, because it will require a parcel of land from the AAI housing quarters to complete the structure.
Southern Railway did not respond to queries by TOI on the cost of the projects.
LATEST COMMENT Complete the 500 meter MRTS link pending which will make operational Velachery/ Mount MRTS link which will benefit kakhs of commuters and give link from Koimbedu-- Mylapore through Metro/MRTS and hu... Read MoreGopalarathnam Krishna Prasad
The corporation special officer's council, which granted project approval, noted that Southern Railway had approached the civic body in December 2016 but confusion over the permit-granting authority caused a delay. "The superintending engineer (bridges and roads) thought it was under the ambit of the district collector," the council document said.
The Kancheepuram collector clarified that the projects required approval from the local body.
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