With the opening of Mettur dam for irrigation being delayed this year, the State Highways Department is giving a push to the construction of the new bridge across the Cauvery in the city.

The prolonged dry season has provided a crucial window for the State Highways Department to execute the project work. The work is expected to be completed by September.

According to sources in the department, almost 70% of the construction of the bridge has been completed. “The work is under way in full swing and we are confident of completing the work by September,” an official said.

The department, which began work on the new bridge in July 2024, had to contend with the strong flow of water in the river in the following months and the foundation work could be taken up only intermittently.

The process of acquiring about 2,283 square metres of land and shifting of utilities was expected to be completed soon. While land acquisition had been completed on the Chinthamani side, it is yet to be completed on the Mambazha Salai side because of litigation and a few other issues. Once the land acquisition is completed, work on building the approach roads to the bridge would begin.

The bridge was sanctioned at an estimate of ₹106 crore in the State Budget for 2024-25 and is being built adjacent to the existing bridge. The existing bridge would be retained to cater to traffic coming from Mambazha Salai, while the new one would be for vehicles going in the opposite direction.