Construction of a long-pending foot overbridge near the DMDK headquarters on Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Salai in Koyambedu is expected to begin within the next few days, the State Highways Department has said. The project is intended to provide a safer crossing for pedestrians travelling near the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, or CMBT.
The proposed Koyambedu foot overbridge will be built at the crossing between the Koyambedu grade separator and the CMBT flyover. The stretch is part of Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, commonly known as 100 Feet Road, one of the city’s major arterial roads. It carries heavy traffic throughout the day, particularly around the bus terminus and the Koyambedu interchange.
According to a report by DT Next, the crossing currently has no traffic signal, leaving pedestrians to negotiate a wide road where vehicles travel at high speed, especially while descending from the flyover. Traffic police personnel are deployed at the spot during peak periods to regulate vehicles and assist people crossing the road. For much of the day, however, pedestrians are required to cross the road without that support.
The absence of a dedicated crossing has also affected traffic movement. Pedestrians crossing between traffic gaps can interrupt vehicle flow during peak hours, contributing to congestion on the Koyambedu flyover and the road below it. That road provides access to the CMBT and connects several important routes through the city’s busy transport hub.
The Highways Department proposed the foot overbridge in 2025 at an estimated cost of Rs 18 crore following persistent complaints from members of the public. The project did not move beyond the announcement for nearly a year, with land acquisition identified as one of the main obstacles to construction.
That issue has now been resolved, according to the department. A senior official from the State Highways Department told DT Next, “The land acquisition process has been completed and the tender process also completed. Within one or two days, the construction of that project will start.”
The planned structure is expected to separate pedestrian movement from fast-moving traffic at a location where road design, bus-terminal access and flyover operations converge. Its construction will mark the transition of the project from a publicly announced safety intervention to on-site implementation. The department’s immediate next step is to begin construction after completing the land acquisition and tender processes.
