Along with R. Krishnasamy, Chief Engineer (CE), State Highways (Projects) and K. Vathsala Vidyanandini, Superintending Engineer (SE), State Highways (Projects), AC Vilwanathan, Ambur MLA laid the foundation stone. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The State Highways on Sunday started construction work of a ₹65.98 crore Road Over Bridge (ROB) at Reddy Thoppu village near Ambur railway station in Tirupattur to replace the existing narrow railway tunnel.
State Highways officials said the new bridge will connect Reddy Thoppu and Ambur East near the railway station. Along with R. Krishnasamy, Chief Engineer (CE), State Highways (Projects) and K. Vathsala Vidyanandini, Superintending Engineer (SE), State Highways (Projects), AC Vilwanathan, Ambur MLA laid the foundation stone for the work.
“Southern Railway will monitor the bridge sections 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,” K. Sundar, Divisional Engineer (DE), State Highways (Vellore), told The Hindu.
Funded from the Tamil Nadu Deposit Fund 2025-26, the two-lane bridge will be 600 meters long and 7.5 meters wide with at least 50 LED street lights on the bridge and its service lanes. Paved walkways with steel railings will be provided. Stairs from the bridge to the nearest railway stations are part of the work.
Highway officials said that a portion of the railway track, which is 37.24 meters long, including concrete decks and pillars, will be done by the Southern Railway to ensure that train traffic on the route is not affected. Of the total project cost, about ₹ 20 crore will be spent on the bridge work.
The bridge ramp and access roads will be built by state highways. Each bitumen approach road measures about 300 meters in length and seven meters in width. Around 5,500 square meters of land was acquired at a cost of ₹13.50 crore for the work.
Currently, there are three narrow vents on the railway line for motorists and pedestrians to cross the track. Each vent will average two meters in height and 1.8 meters in width. Only two-wheelers and auto rickshaws can pass through the vents. During the monsoon, the facility is flooded, forcing residents to take a detour of at least 20 km.
Residents said at least 10 farming villages with around 40,000 people live across the line. For them, the three vents are the only direct connectivity to reach Ambur and the surrounding towns. Once completed, the new bridge will provide direct bus service to these villages, they said.
Published – 10 March 2026 23:49 IST
