Vellore road overbridge nears completion, set to replace busy railway level crossing

Construction of a road overbridge (ROB) on the Krishnagiri–Ranipet main road in Vellore town has crossed the 70 percent mark, with officials of the State Highways Department expecting the structure to be ready by the end of December.

The ₹37.62 crore bridge will replace the manned railway level crossing (LC 128) that currently handles traffic on the route. Work on erecting pillars along the main road has already begun, and officials said only four to five of the total 24 pillars remain to be completed. Construction was speeded up to avoid delays from the Northeast monsoon.

The two-lane bridge, which is 767.34 metres long and 12 metres wide, was originally approved in 2009 and is being executed jointly by the Southern Railway and the State Highways Department under the Railway Works Programme 2008-09. It is funded by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Once open, the facility will have around 50 LED streetlights along the bridge and its service lanes, tiled footpaths with steel hand railings, and staircases connecting the bridge to Vellore Town railway station. Approach roads extending about 300 metres on either side of the bridge are also part of the project.

The new bridge is expected to end the detour of at least five kilometres that motorists currently undertake to reach either side of the level crossing, which stays closed for long hours because of express train movement. Students, office-goers, farmers and traders have had to travel to a similar bridge about five kilometres away from the town. Residents have pointed out that ambulances and government buses are also forced to take the longer route.

The bridge will connect the central parts of Vellore town with the Chennai–Bengaluru National Highway (NH 48) and is expected to improve access for mofussil buses heading to Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Salem and Hosur.