Construction of an overbridge near the Fort railway station in Tiruchi, which has been facing inordinate delay, has gained momentum with composite girders having been brought to the site for erection by the Southern Railway Construction Organisation.

The project, estimated to cost ₹44 crore, is being jointly executed by the Tiruchi Corporation and the Southern Railway Construction Organisation with the latter involved in carrying out the works in the railway portion. The project is being executed on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis. The Southern Railway Construction Organisation had demolished the British-era bridge above the Tiruchi-Karur electrified broad gauge section in May 2025 to build a new structure in its place.

More than a year after the over 150-year-old bridge was demolished, the project which made very slow progress since then has now got a thrust. Railway sources said eight composite steel girders have been brought to the project site near the Fort railway station. Each of the girders is about 30 metres long.

The girders were brought to the site last week, the sources said and added that the construction of the trestle beam near the railway track had been completed on the Woraiyur side of the bridge. Construction of another trestle beam on the Main Guard gate of the bridge side is nearing completion.

The girders would be placed on the railway concrete piers after obtaining necessary clearance and approval from the Southern Railway headquarters, the sources said. The deck slab concreting work would be carried out after placing the girders which would take about one month. The project has gained momentum and the railway portion is expected to be fully completed by November, say the sources.

Retaining wall

A Tiruchi City Corporation official said the retaining wall finishing work in the civic body’s portion was on the verge of completion. Bridges would have to be constructed on either side and the approach roads would have been formed. The official said the Corporation would require at least three months time to complete its portion exuding hope that the new overbridge would be ready by January.

It has been more than two years since the overbridge was closed for vehicular movements to facilitate the construction of a new structure in its place. The residents of the city have been miffed over the undue delay in the completion of the project as vehicles have been diverted via Karur Bypass and Thennur overbridge for over two years now posing problems for them leading to traffic hold ups on the Karur Bypass.

Published - August 17, 2026 08:56 pm IST