The Highways Department will construct a toilet block and a compound for the government higher secondary school in Thoraipakkam. The school is located next to the extension of the Thoraipakkam-Pallavaram radial road. These facilities will be constructed at a cost of ₹40 lakh and tenders have been floated for the same, said sources in the department.
The work on formation of the road is proceeding despite hurdles and creation of embankment up to Canal Bank Road on the western bank of the Buckingham Canal is to be completed in 15 days. “We will allow the earth and gravel to settle for a few months and then lay the bitumen topping. This is to ensure that the road becomes sturdy and withstands all kinds of weather,” said another source.
The department is waiting for the removal of encroachments on either side of the Buckingham Canal. It has written to the Water Resources Department, which has sought the assistance of the Revenue Department. “The first stage in land acquisition has been completed. We have several more to cross. These people have to be provided alternative accommodation,” said an official.
The Highways department has written to the Inland Waterways Authority for its permission to build a 100m bridge across the canal. Similarly, people in a residential locality on the East Coast Road (ECR) side of the canal have to be provided compensation and then structures removed to connect the road to the ECR.
Wilson, a resident of Perungudi, said the road would really be a blessing and hoped that the work would be speeded up. “The school also requires the toilet complex very badly. I am happy that the children will benefit,” he said.
On the completion of this phase, connectivity between Rajiv Gandhi Salai and ECR would greatly improve. With Chennai Metro Rail taking up construction on the IT Corridor, this road would help motorists get out of the congestion.
