Chennai: Pattabiram ROB second span remains incomplete nearly a year after Railway deadline

CHENNAI: Nearly two years after one portion of the Pattabiram Road Over Bridge (ROB) was opened to traffic, the second span of the bridge is still incomplete, with the Rail Passengers Association of Pattabiram, now seeking the intervention of senior railway officials to expedite the work.

In a representation to the Railway Board Chairman, Southern Railway General Manager and Chennai Divisional Railway Manager on Thursday, the association recalled that the Chief Administrative Officer/Construction of Southern Railway had, in a reply dated June 23, 2025, assured that all railway works would be completed by October 30, 2025. However, as of September this year, the second span remains unfinished. 

“Handrail work had been continuing for several months, while construction materials and large boulders were yet to be cleared from the site, we don’t think it will be finished anytime soon,” said Augustine Roy Rozario, president of the association. 

While the attempts to contact the railway officials proved futile, the state highways department official said that the ROB work was expected to be completed by October 15. 

The four-lane ROB taken up in lieu of the LC-2 railway level crossing gate across the Pattabiram Military Siding (PTMS) line on the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road (CTH Road), was approved by the State government in 2011 and construction began in March 2018 at a cost of Rs 78.32 crore. The portion opened in 2024 is carrying traffic in both directions leading to traffic bottlenecks. 

Residents claim that the problem was most visible at the junction near Pattabiram police station, which caters to traffic from Pattabiram, Tirunindravur and surrounding localities. The association has sought an inspection of the site and action to ensure completion of the remaining railway works.