New four-lane bridge across Bhavani planned at Mettupalayam
In response to these concerns, senior officials from the National Highways Department confirmed to TNIE that a detailed project report and cost estimate for a new bridge — 115 metres long and 7.5 metres wide — have been prepared. A DPR and a proposal for constructing the new bridge at a cost of `12 crore has been sent to the Government of India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for approval and funding by the officials here in Coimbatore a few days ago.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior highway department official said, "The plan includes dismantling the defunct British-era iron bridge and building a new four-lane bridge on the same alignment, parallel to the existing bridge. Encroachments around the site are also set to be cleared to make way for the new bridge. Once we receive the necessary clearances and financial allocation from the central government, construction will begin immediately," said a senior official.
Officials also added that the existing concrete bridge will be renovated and a separate proposal will be prepared for its repair. The new bridge is expected to significantly improve road safety, accommodate growing traffic, and ensure a reliable connection between Coimbatore and Nilgiris for decades to come, benefiting locals and tourists alike.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
8 minutes ago
- Time of India
JLR to cut up to 500 management jobs amid US tariff impact
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to cut up to 500 management-level jobs in the UK, as the company grapples with the impact of US trade tariffs and a decline in sales, BBC reports. The job reductions, amounting to roughly 1.5 per cent of its British workforce, will be implemented through a voluntary redundancy scheme, the company said, describing the move as 'normal business practice.' The announcement comes days after the carmaker reported a fall in sales during the April–June quarter, citing disruptions from paused exports to the United States due to tariffs, as well as the phased withdrawal of older Jaguar models. JLR had temporarily halted US-bound shipments after tariffs on UK-made vehicles were raised by the Trump administration. Although tariffs have since been reduced from 27.5 per cent to 10 per cent following a trade deal between the UK and US, they still mark a significant increase from the previous 2.5 per cent rate. Tariffs to blame Professor David Bailey of Birmingham Business School said the tariffs have played a 'big role' in the company's decision. 'JLR had been reporting record profits — £2.5 billion in the year to March, its best in a decade — and was hiring in preparation for increased electric vehicle production,' Bailey said. 'The sudden tariff hike has clearly disrupted plans.' He also noted that JLR's popular Defender model, manufactured in Slovakia, continues to face the full 27.5 per cent tariff in the US, adding further pressure. Labour MP Preet Kaur Gill, representing Birmingham Edgbaston, acknowledged the importance of the UK-US trade deal in easing the tariff burden. 'It helped save 12,000 jobs,' she said on BBC Politics Live. 'Our focus remains on sustaining this relationship to support key employers like JLR.' JLR employs more than 30,000 people in the UK and operates major facilities in Solihull, Wolverhampton, and Halewood. The company builds several Range Rover SUV models in the country and has been increasingly shifting toward electric vehicle production.
Mint
12 minutes ago
- Mint
Britains Ocado says priority is to turn cash flow positive in 2025/26
LONDON (Reuters) -Ocado's priority is to generate cash in its next financial year, the high-spending British online supermarket and technology group said on Thursday, as it reported a 77% rise in first-half underlying earnings, sending its shares higher. The group runs an online supermarket through a joint venture with Marks & Spencer, though its market value is mainly driven by the sale of its cutting-edge robotic warehouse technology to retailers around the world. It said its core priority was to turn cash-flow positive during its 2025/26 year - which starts in December - by reducing costs, and to be full-year cash positive in the following year. Finance chief Stephen Daintith told Reuters Ocado was "well on target" to achieve this, highlighting 93 million pound lower cash outflows in its first half to June 1 versus the previous corresponding period, a falling cost base, and a 15% increase in revenue in the key technology division. Shares in Ocado were up 13%, paring 2025 losses to 12% that reflect market anxiety at the pace of new site openings for its grocery retail partners and a lack of new technology deals. Ocado's most important partner, Kroger in the United States, has slowed its roll-out of automated warehouses, or customer fulfilment centres (CFCs) as Ocado calls them, while last year its Canadian partner Sobeys paused the opening of a fourth warehouse. Last month, Ocado did, however, expand its partnership with Spanish supermarket group Bon Preu. Ocado has a further eight CFCs due to go live over the next three years. CEO Tim Steiner said he expected to sign up new grocery clients as exclusivity terms with existing partners end in multiple markets towards the end of this year. Bernstein analyst William Woods said this "may not be helpful to some of the long-term relationships or could be seen as a sign that the partnerships have deteriorated to a point where there is little chance of improvement". Ocado made first half adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 91.8 million pounds, up from 52.0 million. Revenue rose 13.2% to 674 million pounds. It swung to a statutory first half-profit of 611.8 million pounds versus a loss of 153.3 million pounds a year earlier, reflecting changes to the way it accounts for its stake in the Ocado Retail joint venture with M&S. The group said its expectations for the full year were unchanged. (Reporting by James Davey. Editing by Paul Sandle, Mark Potter, Philippa Fletcher)
NDTV
23 minutes ago
- NDTV
UK's Unemployment Rate Rises To Nearly A Four-Year High
United Kingdom: Britain's unemployment rate has edged upwards to remain near a four-year high, official data showed Thursday with businesses hit by a UK tax hike with US tariffs also kicking in. The rate climbed to 4.7 percent in the three months to the end of May -- the highest level since June 2021 -- the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. That compared with 4.6 percent in the February-April period, the ONS added. Thursday's data covers the start of a hike in business tax laid out in the Labour government's inaugural budget last October. April also saw the beginning of a baseline 10-percent tariff imposed on the UK and other countries by US President Donald Trump. Thursday's data also revealed slowing growth in average wages, which firmed expectations that the Bank of England will cut its key interest rate next month. This despite official data Wednesday showing that British inflation jumped unexpectedly to an 18-month high in June. "Slowing activity in the labour market, coupled with pay pressures easing, will likely prompt the Bank of England to lower interest rates next month," Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG UK, said following the latest unemployment reading. "With domestic activity remaining sluggish, the... (BoE) will likely want to provide support via looser policy to prevent a more significant deterioration in the labour market." Recent data showed Britain's economy unexpectedly contracted for a second month running in May, placing strain on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government.
