A new bridge will be opened near Sholinghur to replace the British-era structure

Collector N. Priya Ravichandran inspected the under-construction bridge over in the presence of S. Selvarani, Project Director (PD), DRDA (Ranipet) and Prabhakaran, Executive Engineer (EE), DRDA (Ranipet). | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

A new ₹3.85 crore high-level bridge over the Rendadi water supply canal near the Ponnai river at Sekkadikuppam village near Sholinghur town in Ranipet will be opened to the public by December this year.

Officials of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which is carrying out the work, said the new facility was a long-standing demand of at least eight nearby farming villages across the water canal. The new bridge will replace a British-era dyke that was damaged during the 2021 flood in a water channel fed by the Ponnai River.

The new bridge will provide easy access to villagers in Ranipet and Thiruvallur districts. “The new bridge will help farmers transport agricultural produce to common markets in nearby big cities. Buses will also be operated to reach remote villages,” S. Kannan, Assistant Engineer (AE), DRDA (Sholinghur), told The Hindu.

On Saturday, Collector N. Priya Ravichandran inspected the under-construction bridge in the presence of S. Selvarani, Project Director (PD), DRDA (Ranipet) and Prabhakaran, Executive Engineer (EE), DRDA (Ranipet). “During the monsoon, residents could not cross the water canal due to chest-deep water. The new bridge will be a lifesaver for residents as ambulances and government buses can reach remote villages in the region,” said T. Perumal, a farmer.

DRDA officials said the new bridge will replace the dilapidated causeway that was demolished for the work to connect nearby villages with towns like Sholinghur, Arakkonam, Tiruvallur and Tiruttani.

The new bridge will be 38 meters long and 7.5 meters wide. It can release about 30,000 pieces of water per second. The new facility was built at least three meters above the water channel to prevent flooding during floods.

The new bridge will have paved walkways, LED lights, drains to drain rainwater into the river, floodlights, signboards and railings. Access roads will also be laid that will connect the surrounding villages with the new facility.

For residents, the new bridges will end a detour of at least eight kilometers to reach the nearest towns in Ranipet and Thiruvallur districts. Residents said it will provide easy access to essential facilities like government schools, health centres, banks, ATMs, agriculture office, cooperative society and taluk office.

Published – 01 Nov 2026 0:43 IST