Structural concerns and creaking joints cause concern over stability of Vandalur railway gate flyover

CHENNAI: Owing to the serious damage to the metal structure and cracks in the concrete surface, frequent loud noises are reportedly emanating from the Vandalur railway gate flyover and is causing a lot of anxiety and inconvenience for daily commuters.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, the flyover was constructed in 2012 at a cost of Rs 27 crores by the railways and highways departments in an effort to replace the old gate which frequently closed for trains and caused major traffic issues on the the Vandalur-Walajabad highway.

The structure was designed to run across the Chennai-Trichy national highway and the Tambaram-Chengalpattu railway tracks. It has a deck that is composed of 84 concrete segments which are held together by metal expansion joints.

It may be noted that the flyover endures heavy traffic, particularly from container trucks transporting machinery to and from the Chennai port, airport and manufacturing plants. Owing to the constant strain from overweight vehicles, the structure has suffered significant damage.

Locals said that the metal joints have become very weak over time and are producing loud creaking noises and is also vibrating violently, especially when heavy vehicles pass over them. The disruptive noises have caused a lot of distress to the people in the neighborhood, especially at night, causing them to lose sleep.

Apart from this, portions of the concrete road have started to break and form cracks. To make matters worse, the recent rains have caused water to pool inside the cracks, causing further concerns about water seepage and the flyover's stability.

Following complaints from the public and traffic police, a team of highway engineers conducted a full inspection in August. During the inspection, they identified and repaired over 30 damaged joints, which provided a brief respite from the noise.

However, locals said that the noises have made a comeback and are worse than before. And with doubts looming large over the structure's stability, many heavy container trucks are also avoiding the flyover and opting for alternative routes to reach industrial areas.

Following this, commuters and local residents have demanded that the faulty joints be removed and replaced with new infrastructure for better safety.

In response to this, the Highways Department officials stated that while 34 joints have already been repaired, they will soon take efforts to fix the remaining joints as well.