Residents of Pattabiram, Thiruninravur, Veppampet, Sevvapet and neighbouring localities want work to be expedited on the road overbridge proposed to replace level crossing 2 on the Pattabiram Military Siding Line.
Since the railway line connects a nearby defence enclave and a Food Corporation of India facility, it witnesses a lot of EMU traffic. A lot of heavy vehicles from brick kilns in the vicinity too pass through the area.
“The line cuts across the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road that runs up to Tiruttani and Tirupathi and each time the gate is closed to allow trains, traffic piles up on either side. There are many schools and colleges in the surrounding areas and often, students get delayed due to the closure of the gate,” said Pattabiram resident T. Sadagopan.
Already, many motorists in the area were using phase I of the Chennai Outer Ring Road to Tambaram that helped reduce travel time by at least half.
Once the second phase of the Chennai Outer Ring Road up to Minjur was opened for traffic, even more vehicles would ply in that direction, he added.
Roy Rozario, a resident of Cholan Nagar in Pattabiram, said that the Southern Railway had begun work on its portion over the tracks but the State Highways Department, which had a major role, was yet to commence its portion. “The process of land acquisition is very slow. We want the project to be speeded up,” he said.
Sources in the Highways Department said that the process of land acquisition had begun and the Revenue Department had taken it up. “We are asking them to speed up the process. In the meanwhile, we have also written to the government seeking more funds. The estimated cost of the 6-lane project now stands at ₹52 crore,” explained an official.
Though administrative sanction for ₹38 crore was given in 2011 by the State government, the work was taken up only after CTH Road was transferred back under the control of the State highways department. Residents who are to give up property for the project have been demanding increased compensation.
Since the railway line connects a nearby defence enclave and a Food Corporation of India facility, it witnesses a lot of EMU traffic. A lot of heavy vehicles from brick kilns in the vicinity too pass through the area.
“The line cuts across the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road that runs up to Tiruttani and Tirupathi and each time the gate is closed to allow trains, traffic piles up on either side. There are many schools and colleges in the surrounding areas and often, students get delayed due to the closure of the gate,” said Pattabiram resident T. Sadagopan.
Already, many motorists in the area were using phase I of the Chennai Outer Ring Road to Tambaram that helped reduce travel time by at least half.
Once the second phase of the Chennai Outer Ring Road up to Minjur was opened for traffic, even more vehicles would ply in that direction, he added.
Roy Rozario, a resident of Cholan Nagar in Pattabiram, said that the Southern Railway had begun work on its portion over the tracks but the State Highways Department, which had a major role, was yet to commence its portion. “The process of land acquisition is very slow. We want the project to be speeded up,” he said.
Sources in the Highways Department said that the process of land acquisition had begun and the Revenue Department had taken it up. “We are asking them to speed up the process. In the meanwhile, we have also written to the government seeking more funds. The estimated cost of the 6-lane project now stands at ₹52 crore,” explained an official.
Though administrative sanction for ₹38 crore was given in 2011 by the State government, the work was taken up only after CTH Road was transferred back under the control of the State highways department. Residents who are to give up property for the project have been demanding increased compensation.