17 hours ago
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
Railways' nod sought for girder work of Coimbatore's Avinashi Road flyover at night
COIMBATORE: The ambitious Avinashi Road elevated flyover project in Coimbatore has hit a major roadblock near Hopes Junction, as the Southern Railways has granted limited working hours for the construction activity in the area.
With the 10.1-kilometre-long flyover nearing completion, the last major hurdle involves installing eight massive iron girder beams over the railway lines at Hopes - a task that now hangs in the balance due to time constraints and traffic congestion concerns.
The Rs 1,621.30-crore flyover project, which began in December 2020, is being executed by the Special Projects Wing of the State Highways Department to ease traffic congestion on the busy Avinashi Road stretch between Uppilipalayam and Chinniyampalayam. The four-lane elevated corridor is 17.25-metre wide and includes 10.5-metre-wide service roads on both sides, along with stormwater drains and footpaths. Officials said 95% of the work has been completed, and the project was earlier slated for completion by July 30.
However, the critical phase of installing girder beams over the railway track near Hopes Junction remains pending. Due to the presence of the existing railway bridge, columns cannot be erected at that stretch. To bridge the 52-metre gap, officials have planned to use eight iron girders, which have arrived from Hyderabad in parts and are currently being assembled at the Government Polytechnic College Ground. Six of the eight girders have already been assembled.
