Jaya to inaugurate Rangarajapuram flyover soon

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is likely to inaugurate one arm of the Rs 24-crore Rangarajapuram flyover, that has been completed and awaiting a formal opening, for the past few months.According to Ripon Building sources, the inauguration of the flyover is likely to be held in a couple of days.  In June last, Mayor M Subramanian had inspected the construction works at the flyover site and announced that the one arm of the bridge that has been completed would be opened for traffic in another 10 days. He also said that the construction of another arm connecting Bazullah Road and Rangarajapuram (Kodambakkam) was progressing well and would be completed by year-end.With Chief Minister Jayalalithaa expecting to inaugurate the bridge in another couple of days, officials of the civic body on Monday inspected the flyover and reviewed the possible traffic patterns once the facility would be opened for public.Bowing to the demand of the local residents and to ease traffic snarls in the congested Kodambakkam locality, Chennai Corporation, in association with the Railways, had envisaged the 962-metre-long flyover in 2006 and work orders for the bridge were issued in 2008.Due to lack of coordination between the civic body and Railways, the deadline for completing the flyover’s construction works was missed several times in the past and the June-month inspection by Mayor Subramanian was his fifth one. Of the Rs 23.76 crore-project cost, Chennai Corporation is spending about Rs 16 crore and the rest (Rs 8 crore) was borne by the Railways. Once the flyover is opened for public use, it will ease traffic flow in and around Kodambakkam, T Nagar and Mambalam.