more-in The new two-lane bridge across the Koraiyar on the city stretch of the Tiruchi-Dindigul Highway would be completed by December, sources in the Highways Department said. Though the foundation stone was laid in March last year, the work had a sluggish start after preliminary works were carried out at the site. The bridge was sanctioned after the city stretch of the highway was widened last year between Ponnagar and Kallikudi. The Tiruchi-Dindigul national highway (NH 45) has been widened to a four-lane road by the National Highways Authority of India from Kallikudi. The bridge would be built alongside the existing two-lane bridge, which was too narrow to accommodate the increasing flow of traffic. The new bridge with a width of 7.50 metres would cater to traffic on one direction and the existing bridge would be retained for traffic on the other direction. It would run for a length of 105 metres and is expected to ease traffic flow near Dheeran Nagar. Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had laid the foundation stone and the bridge was sanctioned at a cost of ?4.90 crore, under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP). This was one of the 129 works to be taken up under the CRIDP during 2015-16. But after the initial ground clearing works, there was a long lull . When contacted, an officer in the Highways Department said that the work has resumed and fresh load tests would be conducted shortly. “There was a delay due to the soil conditions and we considered a change in design. However, the work has resumed now,” he said. Meanwhile, the Highways Department sources disclosed that the government has sanctioned ?75 crore under the CRDIP this year and 87 works would be taken up utilising the funds. The works would include development of various road stretches in the district including the Manapparai-Thuvarankurichi Road, Musiri-Athur Road and Nochiyam-Machanallur Road where three new culverts would be built.

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