[Alliopeti]

Anna Nagar’s landmark Anna Arch has just been given a reprieve – for a week. The twin structures were to be demolished to make way for a flyover at the junction of Poonamallee High Road and Anna Nagar Third Avenue, but the Highways Department has now put the project on hold.

The department is mulling over the possibility of retaining the arches as they are, and looking at ways to change the project design of the flyover accordingly.

A three-day struggle that began over the weekend to bring the mammoth structures down did not succeed, but the department is still looking for solutions to take them down. According to sources in the department, contractors were unable to dismantle the structures using equipment, including diamond cutters.

On Tuesday, work was stalled with a crane holding on to one of the arches. Entry of vehicles into Anna Nagar has been stopped temporarily since Saturday, to facilitate the work. Heavy rains on Sunday also delayed the work.

Residents of Anna Nagar said they had to take a detour up until Naduvankarai to enter their locality.

Several buss commuters were also affected as they were not aware of the changes in the bus stops.

The arch was constructed by the Madras Corporation at a cost of Rs.12 lakh to commemorate the platinum jubilee of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai in 1985.

Source: The Hindu