CHENNAI: The skywalk connecting the Kilambakkam railway station with the Kilambakkam mofussil terminus is likely to be completed only in March next year, though passengers want the works to be over before the Pongal festival when lakhs of passengers use the terminus.
Though not much work is pending, its completion during November and December is considered difficult as north-east monsoon rains are likely during the months. The pending works are to be speeded up in January and February. There are also speculations over the name of the railway station to be recommended by the state government, but most people think naming the railway station after Kilambakkam will be appropriate since the bus terminus is named after the area.
The Tamil Nadu government decided to construct a bus terminus in 2017 to bring down traffic congestion in the city. A place in Mannivakkam along the Vandalur-Walajabad road was chosen, but the farmers in the area opposed the project saying that agricultural lands will be affected.
Following the opposition, the government chose Kilambakkam, along the Chennai-Tiruchy national highway, and the works began in February 2019 on 88 acres.
The mofussil terminus was completed at a cost of Rs. 393 crore and inaugurated by former chief minister M.K. Stalin in December 2023. The operation of 90 per cent of government buses and all the omnibuses was shifted to Kilambakkam terminus turning it into the major bus terminus for the people of Chennai.
Since there is no railway station nearby, people get down at Urapakkam, Vandalur, Guduvanchery or Potheri railway stations and take auto or bus to Kilambakkam terminus. Passengers who get down at Urapakkam also walk to the terminus.
The government decided to set up a railway station in front of the bus terminus and a skywalk from the railway station to the bus terminus was planned after repeated requests from the people.
The government decided to build a suburban railway station between Vandalur and Urapakkam. Land acquisition work was taken up by the Chengalpet revenue department, and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) provided Rs. 20 crore to Southern Railway for the railway station.
The skywalk is being constructed for a distance of 299 metres at a cost of Rs. 79 crore to connect the Kilambakkam railway station with the terminus. Once the skywalk is completed, there will be no need to cross the Chennai-Tiruchy national highway by foot, ensuring the safety of the people, besides helping the free flow of vehicles in front of the terminus.
Though the skywalk work started in 2024, the Chengalpet revenue department faced problems in land acquisition as land-owners filed a case in the Madras high court. Since the case delayed the works, the officials of the revenue department and CMDA held negotiations with the land-owners and arrived at a negotiated settlement.
But the problems in the construction of the skywalk persisted and IIT experts who examined the construction found some faults in the design of the skywalk. They also recommended measures to make some alterations. The construction commenced with the recommended alterations, but the works were delayed since there was heavy traffic most of the time.
One of the passengers and RTI activist Dayanandha Krishnan said the passengers expected the opening of the railway station and skywalk this Deepavali itself. The people now are keen that the skywalk and railway station are opened before Pongal.
A CMDA official who spoke on the skywalk said about 80 per cent of the work in linking the new railway station and the terminus was complete. The work on the railway land and the installation of the escalators was progressing. The railways has given permission to link the skywalk to the station and the work to construct the bridge over the railway tracks will commence soon. Once the links over the tracks are completed, the remaining works could be carried out in two months, he said.
A railway official said 95 per cent of the railway station works are complete. The construction of the ticket counters, toilets and platforms had been carried out. The remaining works, including setting up sign boards, will be over soon. However, the stormwater drain works in the railway station has not commenced yet, he pointed out.
If there is heavy rain in November and December, construction of the stormwater drain could be delayed. However, the works could be completed in January and February, resulting in the opening of the railway station and skywalk in March 2027.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
