After months of prolonged delays, the National Highways (NH) wing of the State Highways Department has finally commenced foundation work for the last remaining pillar of the long-stalled Saibaba Colony flyover project in Coimbatore.
The 975-metre-long flyover, which connects Alagesan Road to the MTP Road Bus Terminus near Eru Company, is being developed at a cost of Rs 520 million. However, construction came to a standstill in December last year when workers accidentally damaged an underground drainage (UGD) pipeline.
For nearly eight months, the site remained waterlogged with stagnant sewage, as neither the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board nor the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) took steps to repair the line or drain the wastewater, despite repeated appeals by the Highways Department.
During the impasse, engineers managed to install girders on 22 pillars, with only the final pillar left incomplete. To resolve the issue, the Highways Department eventually intervened, pumping out the sewage and laying an alternative drainage pipeline, finally enabling foundation work to proceed.
A senior NH official confirmed on Monday:
“After eight months of delay, the foundation for the last pillar has commenced. Work is progressing rapidly, and we expect to complete it in the coming days. Once this is done, the remaining components of the flyover will follow.”
With construction back on track, the project is now expected to reach completion by January 2026, offering long-awaited traffic relief in the Saibaba Colony region.?
