Determined to avert a repeat of past inundations, the Greater Chennai Corporation has invited bids to demolish and rebuild the low lying bridge across the Kodungaiyur canal at South Avenue. Estimated at Rs 2.5?crore, the project will raise the bridge deck and widen the sluice, giving floodwater a clearer passage and shielding nearby areas such as Muthamil?Nagar, which previously found itself waist deep during heavy rain.
Councillor S.?Jeevan, who pressed for the upgrade in recent council sessions, said the higher span should reconnect residents who were often marooned when water overtopped the old structure. The winning contractor is expected to begin work in July and finish before the northeast monsoon.
The bridge reconstruction forms part of a broader flood defence push that includes clearing plastic waste from drains, elevating canal walls and lining channels to speed run off. Corporation officials say these combined measures should make the city far more resilient when the rains arrive.
