Chennai Metro Initiates Bridge Widening to Alleviate Traffic and Flooding Issues
Motorists navigating Kaaliamman Koil Street in Chennai can anticipate significant relief from peak-hour gridlock, as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has launched a project to widen the bridge over the Virugambakkam–Arumbakkam Canal. This initiative, requested by the Greater Chennai Corporation, is designed to enhance traffic flow and connectivity while also addressing monsoon-related flooding concerns by raising the bridge's height.
Project Details and Contract Award
On Saturday, CMRL awarded a contract worth 12.31 crore rupees to Thomas Iyadurai Infrastructure Private Limited for the demolition and reconstruction of the existing bridge. The project is slated for completion within six months, with the new structure to be wider and aligned with the current four-lane road configuration. The existing bridge, measuring 19 meters in length and 14.86 meters in width, has long been a bottleneck, causing congestion despite wider adjoining roads.
Enhanced Specifications and Benefits
The new bridge will span 24.73 meters in length and 24 meters in width, with the central road level elevated to 11.35 meters—an increase of 1.26 meters from the current 10.09 meters. This height adjustment is expected to boost the canal's water-carrying capacity by 1,216 cubic meters, thereby improving stormwater drainage during heavy rains. Residents like S Sundar from Virugambakkam have expressed frustration, noting that driving during peak hours is a nightmare due to CMRL barricades and the narrow bridge that impedes simultaneous vehicle crossings.
Integration with Metro Expansion and Flood Mitigation
This bridge project is part of CMRL's broader efforts, including the construction of a 3.5-kilometer elevated metro line along Kaaliamman Koil Street, which is a segment of the 44.6-kilometer corridor 5 in Phase-2, stretching from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur. The metro line is targeted for completion by March next year. Additionally, the Virugambakkam–Arumbakkam Canal, which runs 6.4 kilometers through areas like Virugambakkam, Arumbakkam, and Aminjikarai before joining the Cooum River, features 28 bridges. As part of ongoing flood mitigation, the Greater Chennai Corporation has previously desilted 100,000 cubic meters along the canal and constructed a 1,490-meter retaining wall, identifying 12 bridges for reconstruction to prevent water flow obstructions during monsoons.
