The British-era steel overbridge across the railway line in Perambur Loco Works is eroding. Signs of erosion will be visible to anyone who bothers to take a close look at the facility. Often, motorcyclists using the overbridge stick to one lane as half of the carriageway has eroded, exposing rusted steel beams beneath it.

Located between the railway stations at Perambur Carriageway and Villivakkam, the steel overbridge was built in the early 1930s to connect railway institutions, including Loco Works and ICF. It has two steel bridges with bitumen-topped ramps that are separated by a concrete sloppy median. The steel bridge towards Periyar Nagar and Kolathur is older; the second bridge was constructed by the Chennai Corporation in 2011 to decongest the lone narrow bridge.

For long, the overbridge was the only source of connectivity to various institutions from Loco Works and Perambur.

It’s still popular among a section of people. Even today, hundreds of railway employees and motorists use the overbridge to reach the rail line. As the main entrance of Loco Works is located near the ramp of the overbridge, it is convenient for the staff to reach the bridge. But, maintenance of the overbridge is deteriorating.

Over the years, the overbridge and its ramps have been damaged due to poor maintenance and weathering. Most of the electrical fittings including bulbs on the lamp posts are either damaged or stolen. Overgrown bushes on the concrete median block the view of pedestrians, who are mainly rail commuters from Loco Works railway station and railway employees.

The speed breakers on the ramp especially towards Periyar Nagar are not painted. The connecting roads to the bridge also do not have adequate street lights, forcing motorists to rely on the headlights of the vehicles.

“At night, we cannot see the unevenness of the carriageway, especially towards Perambur. I have seen people skid on the overbridge,” says K. Shanmugam, a motorist from Perambur. He says most of the street lights on the ramp are not functioning and many pedestrians carry small pocket-sized touch lights to cross the section.

“Steps will be taken to give a facelift to the overbridge soon,” says a Corporation official.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by D. Madhavan / August 31st, 2019