CHENNAI: For the residents of Nolambur, Chinna Nolambur, Mogappair and Thiruverkadu, monsoons meant having to stay in or navigate a submerged causeway. That will soon be a thing of the past, as a new bridge built across the Cooum River, connecting Poonamallee High Road and Union Road, was thrown open to the public on Sunday (March 8).
The four-lane bridge was among the number of completed infrastructure projects worth Rs 143.21 crore that Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated on Sunday. He also laid the foundation stone for a new project at Rs 12.50 crore under the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in the Valasaravakkam zone.
Udhayanidhi opened three projects for public use, and the most significant among them was the elevated bridge across the Coovum, constructed at a cost of Rs 135.26 crore — Rs 42.71 crore for the bridge and Rs 92.91 crore for land acquisition.
The four-lane bridge will benefit over 1 lakh people who live in Nolambur, Chinna Nolambur, Mogappair and Thiruverkadu. The bridge is about 245 metres long and 20.70 metres wide and replaced an old causeway that frequently submerged during the monsoons, making it unusable.
In September last year, a similar elevated bridge at Sannathi 1st Cross Street, connecting Poonamallee High Road and Union Road, was inaugurated by Udhayanidhi.
He also inaugurated the Kalaignar centenary library and a skill development training centre, built at Rs 2.71 crore. This 6,160 sq ft facility in Chinna Porur is designed to assist the elderly and students preparing for competitive exams.
The deputy CM also opened a Kalaignar centenary park and pond in SVS Nagar, first main road in ward 151, covering 16,396.13 sq m.
Udhayanidhi laid the foundation for a Rs 12.50 crore project to improve infrastructure along the Cooum bank.