NHAI to build ₹1.8-crore foot overbridge at Poigai on NH 48

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will construct a foot overbridge at Poigai village on the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) at an estimated cost of ₹1.8 crore, as part of efforts to reduce accidents involving pedestrians.

Officials said Poigai is among five accident-prone locations identified along the busy corridor. The structure will be built of steel, with safety of pedestrians crossing the highway as the primary objective.

The design provides for about 20 staircases on either side of the service lane, along with shelters fitted with lights and CCTV cameras. Both flanks of the bridge will be fenced to guard against accidental falls, and ramps for persons with disabilities as well as lifts will be installed.

At present, pedestrians cross the highway through gaps in the median near bus stops. The new bridge is expected to make those crossings safer, particularly for dairy farmers who travel to veterinary facilities located along the stretch.

A motorist, G. Ramesh, said the bridge would help dairy farmers reach veterinary hospitals safely, and suggested that additional measures such as reflectors, blinkers and speed-limit signage be put up.

Poigai is home to a government veterinary hospital, a clinic and a government industrial training institute, and is known for its weekly cattle markets, according to Vellore Corporation officials.

Under existing norms, a vehicular underpass or foot overbridge should be provided every 1.5 km along the highway to facilitate safe crossings. Such facilities can also come up at key intersections and crowded spots such as food joints along the highway.