Tiruchi MP Durai Vaiko on Wednesday said that officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have assured him that the repairs being carried out on the old Cauvery bridge on Chennai-Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway in the city would be completed by September.The bridge was closed to traffic on June 25, and traffic has been diverted via the bridge on the other carriageway between Sanjveevi Nagar Junction and Kondayampettai.NHAI sources had said the repairs would be completed in about three months but it would depend on the impending monsoon and the water flow in the river. The repairs, taken up at an estimate of nearly ₹10 crore, involves replacing 120 bearings and the expansion joints on the structure.Mr .Durai Vaiko, who held separate meetings with NHAI, State Highways, Corporation and traffic police officials to discuss the progress of some of the on-going projects in the city, told The Hindu that the NHAI officials were positive that the repairs would be completed by the end of September.“I also expressed concern to the officials on the absence of proper intimation to the residents of Sarkarpalayam and other villages on the Cauvery banks, which triggered a protest by them after the closure of the access route to their villages following the closure of the bridge to traffic. I told them to to provide clear information to the public on the traffic diversions before taking up such works,” he said.The MP also disclosed that the NHAI officials had told him that works on the construction of an elevated rotary at G.Corner and the vehicular underpasses at Sanjeevi Nagar, Y Road Junction and Maruthi Nagar would also begin by the end of September.He impressed upon the NHAI officials to execute the semi-ring road project, for which the detailed project report is yet to be finalised.Mr .Durai Vaiko said that State Highways officials had assured him that the construction of the road over bridge (ROB) near Fort Station would be completed by September and the one near the Railway Junction by December. The ROB near the Town Railway Station would be completed by August 2027 and the one being built across the Koraiyar near Edamalaipattipudur would be ready by December this year.“I am closely monitoring the progress of all these projects on a weekly basis and conducting monthly reviews so as to ensure that they were completed within the stipulated time frame,” he said. Published - July 01, 2026 05:00 pm IST