Despite periodic repairs, motorists in the city continue to experience bumpy rides due to widening gaps and damages to the expansion joints on the Thennur and Palakkarai road over bridges (ROBs).

At many places along the ROBs, the concrete edges at the expansion joints between the decks have been eroded or broken. This makes for a wide gap between the decks, endangering the safety of motorists, especially two wheeler riders, residents complain.

It has been almost two decades since the road overbridges at Palakkarai and Thennur were built in the city at the initiative of the former Union Minister late Rangarajan Kumaramangalam. And both the structures are in need of comprehensive maintenance, say residents.

“The two bridges, besides the one at Biskhandarkovil in the outskirts of the city, were built at the behest of Rangarajan Kumaramangalam when he represented the Tiruchi Parliamentary constituency over two decades ago. The construction of the ROBs fulfilled the long felt need of the residents and motorists in the city. But they are badly in need of proper maintenance now,” observed N.Jamaluddin, a consumer activist and resident of Anna Nagar.

“Among the two, the Thennur ROB is in a pretty bad shape, making for back breaking rides for two wheelers riders and people travelling by auto rickshaws,” said Mr.Jamaluddin.

Although Corporation officials say that periodic repairs are being taken up to fill the gaps, residents are sore that no attempt it being made to find a permanent solution for the recurring problem. “They fill the gaps with gravel and bitumen; but the gaps emerge again soon. At some of the joints, the edges are sharp and stones are protruding, making them dangerous. If we are not careful, our vehicles could break down while negotiating the gaps,” says Arumugam, an auto rickshaw driver. Minor accidents are frequent as two wheeler riders often trip over while negotiating the damaged expansion joints, he says.

Local residents also complain that the service roads running alongside the bridges still remain largely unserviceable. The service lanes are hardly 10-feet in width at many places and a large number of goods vehicles, autorickshaws, private cars and vendors occupy the service lanes, compounding the problem. Traffic snarls are frequent on the ones along the Thennur High Road. The space beneath the bridges is largely encroached upon even after the civic body put up steel grills a few years ago. Besides the unhygienic practice of dumping of garbage at various spots, especially near the railway track, continues, they point out.