Highways Minister E.V. Velu inspecting the progress of flyover construction at Melamadai junction in Madurai on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Construction work of the flyover at Melamadai junction would be completed by December 1, and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would inaugurate it on December 7, said Highways Minister E.V. Velu.
After inspecting the progress of the work of Melamadai junction bridge and the flyover for Goripalayam junction on Wednesday, Mr. Velu said that the ₹150-crore project was at an advanced stage of construction.
The project also envisaged laying of service roads on both sides.
“Ninety-seven per cent of the work of the bridge has been completed and the balance work of painting, junction improvement and lighting works would be completed by December 1,” he said.
Chief Minister, who had laid the foundation stone for the bridge (on October 30, 2023), would inaugurate it on December 7, he said.
The 950-metre-long bridge would have four lanes to decongest the traffic congestion at Melamadai bridge connecting Sivaganga Road with Aavin junction.
Simultaneously, the work of Goripalayam bridge would be completed by mid of January, he added.
The Minister said that the work of Goripalayam flyover, being constructed at a cost of ₹190 crore, got delayed for six months due to court case with regard to land acquisition.
When asked about the poor design of flyovers causing road accidents, Mr. Velu said that the Highways Department was using roller crash barriers in the bridges to prevent road accidents.
“With the quality of roads getting better people try to drive faster which result in accidents on bridges. However, the new crash barriers that could withstand 20 tonnes of pressure would prevent vehicles from going out of the bridge after crashing and instead divert the vehicles back into the road,” he added.
When asked about the demand for a new bridge on Villapuram road, the Minister said that feasibility study was underway. Based on its report, the work could be taken up.
Madurai District Collector K.J. Praveen Kumar, and MLAs G. Thalapathi and M. Boominathan were present.
Published – November 12, 2025 07:23 pm IST
