The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Subways set for a makeover

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 01, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Subways set for a makeover

T. Ramakrishnan

Highways Department approves Rs.3 crore proposal for facelift

BETTER AMENITIES: This subway, near Anna statue on Anna Salai, will have escalators soon. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI: The city's dark and dirty pedestrian subways are all set for an image makeover, including escalators and bright lights.

Three of the 14 subways maintained by the State Highways department will have escalators: the one near Anna statue on Anna Salai; a second one near the Park suburban railway station on Poonnamalle High Road and the third at Guindy on Anna Salai.

Of the rest, seven are situated on Anna Salai; two on Poonamalle High Road and one each on Rajaji Salai and Wall Tax Road.

To be taken up in the city beautification project, the work of providing facelift to the subways is estimated to cost Rs.3.5 crores.

The Highways department approved it last week by issuing a government order.

The entire cost of the beautification project is nearly Rs. 30.7 crores.

Tenders will be floated very shortly and the plan is to award the contract in a month, according to a senior government official.

A Singapore-based company had submitted design proposals on an informal basis to the Government.

According to the suggested design, access to the subways has to be made easier with improved lighting.

The official says the plan is to take up the work in August and complete it in a couple of months, before the onset of the northeast monsoon.

Improved footpaths

Foothpath improvement is another component of the project.

In fact, a sum of about Rs. 15.5 crores has been sanctioned for this. Footpaths on north beach and south beach roads, North Usman road and Raja Annamalaipuram road will be upgraded. Central medians will be provided on Cathedral road-Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai, Venkatanarayana road-North Usman Road in T. Nagar, and S.N. Chetty street in Royapuram. This will cost Rs. 3.35 crores.

Traffic islands with landscaping will be formed at a cost of Rs. 35 lakhs at six spots including the junction at Sardar Patel road-Velachery main road and that of TTK Road-Turnbulls Road. Strengthening of some stretches of the city roads including the Inner Ring Road and Ennore Highway will be taken up at a cost of Rs. 5.5 crores.

Over two dozen bridges located at different parts of the city will also be done up at a cost of about Rs. 2.5 crores.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu