6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
SIHS Colony ROB in Coimbatore to be completed only in August
COIMBATORE: The prolonged delay in the completion of the SIHS Colony Rail Overbridge (ROB) has angered locals and motorists in and around the Singanallur, SIHS Colony and Ondipudur areas in Coimbatore city.
The completion of the 700-metre-long ROB being constructed by the State Highways Department is now expected only in August this year though it was to be ready by April.
The department sources said 90% of the work on the Rs 55-crore project is over. However, its completion has been delayed once again as the works are being carried out at a snail's pace.
The ROB between Ondipudur and SIHS colony was announced by the then-Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in November 2010 for an outlay of Rs 19.24 cr. Tenders were called for, and the State Highways Department planned to start the work. However, after the regime change in 2011, the works were halted. The project was revived in 2013, and the budget was revised to Rs 21.16 cr.
The project stalled once again due to issues in land acquisition for the service road. As landowners moved for legal proceedings, the project was put on hold. Though the department completed 70% of the work, including 90% of the bridge construction, it was delayed due to negotiations and compensation for the landowners over land acquisitions. Based on the court's direction, the highway department started to lay roads after settling the compensation to the landowners.
