Chennai loses footbridges to major infrastructure projects

Owing to the implementation of major infrastructure projects, the city is set to lose a number of footbridges. Southern Railway has demolished the new footbridge constructed near the Park Station, opposite the Ripon Building, for laying the fourth line from Beach to Egmore. The Greater Chennai Corporation has said the footbridge project at Anna Nagar has been shelved because of the Metro Rail project.

The fourth line has resulted in the dismantling of a few foot bridges, including those at the Park and Fort railway stations. The prestigious ₹275-crore project is being executed fast.

Foundation being laid

A senior official of Southern Railway said that as part of the fourth line, the footbridges at the Park and Fort stations were dismantled for facilitating track work and installation of the overhead electricity cables. “The footbridges, which were dismantled, will be reconstructed. The foundation for the footbridges and fabrication of platform shelters are in progress,” said an official.

Corporation councillors said there was no clarity on the timeline for the construction of footbridges in neighbourhoods where the Metro Rail project was under way. Residents called for a timeline for building the footbridges so that the councillors could monitor their construction.

Bills not paid

Councillor T.V. Shemmozhi said the project for a footbridge near Kendriya Vidyalaya at Anna Nagar was shelved as Chennai Metro Rail Limited promised to create facilities for pedestrians. “Currently, the pedestrians are unable to cross the stretch. The residents have been asked to wait for a year,” he said. “Senior citizens have been unable to use the foot bridge for 15 months near Anna Nagar Sixth Avenue, near SBOA School. The Highways Department has not paid the electricity bills,” he said.

Pedestrians have demanded footbridges across the Grand Trunk Road near VR Mall, Thirumangalam Junction, Koyambedu Roundabout near the Vijayakant memorial and Padi Roundabout, especially near Saravana Stores. As a lot of shoppers visit VR Mall, commuters from Thirumangalam and Padi take a U-turn near Koyambedu Bridge. At rush hours, pedestrians are jumping over the medians, increasing the risk of accidents.

High risk

M. Elavarasan, a resident of Thirumangalam, said the risk faced by school students was high along the stretch. “I have seen people, including school students, risking their lives daily to cross the road. Something needs to be done immediately.”

Senior citizen M. Amutha, who frequents Saravana Stores, said the lack of a pedestrian bridge in the commercial area made it difficult for the elderly to cross the road safely. “We need a solution urgently.”

A. Arun, who runs a grocery store near Padi Roundabout, said the traders would often direct workers to help customers cross the road, fearing for their safety. “A pedestrian bridge would not only ensure safety but also improve the flow of traffic.”

Deepa Karthi, a shop owner at Royapettah, said pedestrian facilities should be constructed in various parts of Royapettah after the Metro Rail project is completed in the area. “Navigating the Royapettah junction is a daily challenge, especially at rush hours. A pedestrian bridge here would make a world of difference,” she said. Residents have underscored the need for pedestrian crossings, linking vital areas like LIC, Thousand Lights, Alwarpet, and Triplicane.

At the Padi Roundabout, the non-functional escalator at the footbridge has inconvenienced pedestrians, especially the elderly and persons with disabilities. Similarly, near the Indira Nagar MRTS station, the Metro Rail construction has rendered pedestrian bridges inaccessible. These issues highlight the urgent need for repairs to the pedestrian facilities.

As the Second Master Plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area prioritised non-motorised transport, the Chennai Corporation started initiatives for building pedestrian facilities. Officials of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) said the modal share of trips made by cyclists and pedestrians was more than 45% in the early period of the Second Master Plan, underscoring the need for allocating more road space for them.

Encroachments to be removed

“The strategy includes footpaths not less than 1.5 metres on residential streets and 3 metres on major commercial roads. Civic agencies have been advised to redeem the existing footpaths from encroachments such as flag-poles, hoardings, shops, places of worship, eateries, construction materials, parking of vehicles, telephone boxes, electrical transformers, junction boxes, traffic umbrellas, waste bins, and milk booths,” said an official.

“As in the case of eviction of encroachments from waterbodies with stringent penal action, a legal framework has been proposed for removing the encroachments from footpaths and roads. The Second Master Plan stresses the need for demarcating stretches of roads for pedestrians and cyclists,” said the official.

(Inputs from R.Srikanth and Nandhabalan J.K.)