Residents of Tiruvottiyur are irked over the inordinate delay by the state highways department and the railways in taking up the construction of two road underbridges (RUB) to replace level crossings in Annamalai Nagar and Wimco.
The project has been remaining on paper for the last three year even after conducting public hearing for constructing it.
The level crossing in Annamalai Nagar and Wimco Nagar would be replaced with RUB, at the cost of Rs 56 crore.
S. Hussain, a schoolteacher who resides at Jyothinagar, said the level crossing is shut 10 minutes before a train crosses the track, which in turn causes long delays for road users.
He said the long-pending demand for a road overbridge or subway to facilitate free movement of vehicles is yet to be fulfilled.
B. Bhaskar, an employee of an automobile shop, said the subways would not only help the local people, but also reduce the travel time of people living in areas like Manali and Minjur.
Former Tiruvottiyur municipal chairman R. Jayaraman said most of the highways projects are either delayed or not taken up at all in the locality.
“Apart from the two subway projects, the road overbridge LC 3 near Tiruvottiyur railway station is pending over a decade now. The highways department should speed up pending projects,” he said.
A highway department official said both the subway works would be taken up soon. “Once the railways floats tender to complete works falling under it, we will go ahead with the project. By this year-end we will be taking up both works,” he said.