Work to construct ₹65.98 crore ROB near Ambur commences

The State Highways Department on Sunday started work to construct a ₹ 65.98 crore Road Over Bridge (ROB) to replace the existing narrow railway culvert at Reddy Thoppu village near Ambur railway station in Tirupattur.

State Highways officials said that the new bridge will connect Reddy Thoppu near the railway station and Ambur East. AC Vilwanathan, Ambur MLA, along with R. Krishnasamy, Chief Engineer (CE), State Highways (Projects), and K. Vathsala Vidyanandini, Engineer-in-Charge (SE), State Highways (Projects), laid the foundation stone of the work.

“Southern Railway will follow some parts of the bridge, while State Highways will complete the ramp, approach roads and other facilities for the new bridge, which will be completed by the end of 2027,” said K. Sundar, Divisional Engineer (DE), State Highways (Vellore). Hindu.

The two-lane bridge, funded under the Tamil Nadu Deposit Fund 2025-26, will be 600 meters long and 7.5 meters wide and will have at least 50 LED street lights on the bridge and service lanes. Tiled walkways with steel railings will be provided. Stairs that will provide access from the bridge to the nearest train station are also part of the work.

Highways officials said that the 37.24 meter long railway line section, including the concrete deck and columns, will be built by the Southern Railway in order not to affect the train services on the route. Approximately ₹20 million of the total project cost will be spent on road works of the bridge.

The ramp and approach roads of the bridge will be built by State Highways. Each bitumen approach road is approximately 300 meters long and seven meters wide. Approximately 5,500 square meters of land for the business was acquired at a cost of ₹13.50 crore.

Currently, the railway line has three narrow vents for drivers and pedestrians to cross the track. Each culvert will be on average two meters high and 1.8 meters wide. Only two-wheelers and autorickshaws can pass through the vents. During the monsoon season, the facility is flooded and residents are forced to detour for at least 20 km.

At least 10 farming villages with approximately 40,000 people reside along the trail, residents said. According to them, these three vents are the only direct connections to reach Ambur and nearby towns. They said that when the new bridge is completed, there will be a direct bus connection to these villages.