Cuddalore: Traffic has been halted on the Villupuram–Nagapattinam National Highway near Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu after a massive sinkhole, approximately
20 feet deep, opened up on a flyover early this morning. The overbridge, part of a National Highway project under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is situated just before the Kollidam River near Edekankattupadugai in Cuddalore district.
Early this morning, a large sinkhole spanning approximately 20 feet formed on the flyover. Upon discovering the sinkhole during the late hours of the night, National Highways Department officials immediately instructed residents of nearby houses to evacuate the area. It is reported that 25 families reside in the vicinity of the bridge. As the bridge continues to subside, traffic has been completely suspended on this route, which sees numerous vehicles daily.
Kollidam flyover sunk: Residents’ allegations
Local residents have alleged that the bridge is suffering recurring damage because it was constructed hastily and without adhering to proper quality standards. They stated that the area situated just before the Kollidam River was originally agricultural land. Residents claimed that because the flyover was built in haste—without proper concrete foundations being laid in that specific section—department officials have been forced to undertake frequent repairs to address recurring damage to the structure.
Despite these repair efforts, the bridge continues to sustain damage repeatedly. Residents attribute this persistent issue to the substandard quality of the construction work and the hurried manner in which the project was executed.
Demands of local residents
Residents have put forward a set of demands. The existing flyover in the area must be completely dismantled and replaced with a new structure. Furthermore, they insist that they will permit construction work to proceed only if proper concrete foundations are laid across the former agricultural land area. Additionally, they have demanded that if adequate safety cannot be guaranteed for them, they must be allotted alternative land and provided with housing.
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