80% Done! Chennai's Cooum Bridges Set for June Opening

Residents of Nolambur, Mogappair, and Maduravoyal in Chennai can soon expect improved travel and reduced traffic congestion, as the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) nears completion of two critical bridges over the Cooum River.

The two 150-meter bridges, which will connect Nolambur-Maduravoyal Road to Poonamallee High Road, are currently 80% complete and expected to open by June. The primary bridge at Chinna Nolambur, linking Poonamallee High Road with Union Road, is progressing swiftly. According to a GCC Bridges Department official, “We have procured 4,396 square meters of land. Girder placement and blacktopping will be completed within a week.”

Once operational, the bridges will eliminate the need for a five to six kilometer detour via Mogappair or Maduravoyal, significantly easing travel for local commuters. Another bridge, located approximately one kilometer away, is also under construction, though girder installation is pending. These infrastructure upgrades are set to benefit freight carriers—trucks, mini-vans, and load tempos—by providing more direct routes to Poonamallee High Road.

In tandem with the bridge projects, the GCC also plans to widen Union Road into a four-lane carriageway. This key route, running parallel to the Cooum and serving as an access point to both bridges, is currently narrow and constrained. To enable the expansion, nearly 200 encroachments along the riverbanks and road are slated for removal.

With growing traffic from the Maduravoyal cloverleaf grade separator being diverted onto Union Road to bypass congestion on Poonamallee High Road, officials believe the combined bridge and road improvements will greatly enhance local connectivity and ease pressure on major arterial junctions.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.