New bridge to be opened near Sholinghur to replace British-era structure - The HinduPublished - November 01, 2026 12:43 am IST - RANIPETCollector N. Priya Ravichandran inspected the under-construction bridge across in the presence of S. Selvarani, Project Director (PD), DRDA (Ranipet), and Prabhakaran, Executive Engineer (EE), DRDA (Ranipet). | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTA new ₹3.85 crore high-level bridge across the Rendadi Water Supply Channel near Ponnai River, at Sekkadikuppam village near Sholinghur town in Ranipet will be opened for public use by December this year.Officials of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which executes the work, said that the new facility was a long-standing demand of at least eight surrounding farming villages across the water channel. The new bridge will replace the British-era causeway, which was damaged during 2021 floods in the water channel, fed by Ponnai river.The new bridge will provide easy access to villagers in Ranipet and Thiruvallur districts. “The new bridge will help farmers to transport farm products to common markets in surrounding big towns. Buses will also be operated to reach remote villages,” S. Kannan, Assistant Engineer (AE), DRDA (Sholinghur), told The Hindu.On Saturday, Collector N. Priya Ravichandran inspected the under-construction bridge in the presence of S. Selvarani, Project Director (PD), DRDA (Ranipet), and Prabhakaran, Executive Engineer (EE), DRDA (Ranipet). “During monsoon, residents could not cross the water channel due to chest-deep water. The new bridge will be a lifeline for residents as ambulances and government buses can reach remote villages in the region,” said T. Perumal, a farmer.DRDA officials said that the new bridge will replace the dilapidated causeway, which was demolished for the work, to connect surrounding villages with towns like Sholinghur, Arakkonam, Tiruvallur, and Tiruttani.Funded under the State Special Assistance Scheme for 2025-26, the new bridge will be 38 metres long and 7.5 metres wide. It can discharge around 30,000 cusecs of water per second. The new facility has been built at least three metres above the water channel to prevent inundation during floods.The new bridge will have tiled footpaths, LED lights, inlets to discharge rainwater into the river, reflectors, signboards and hand railings. Approach roads will also be laid to connect surrounding villages with the new facility. For residents, the new bridges will end a detour of at least eight kms to reach the nearest towns in Ranipet and Thiruvallur districts. It will provide easy access to basic facilities like government schools, health centres, banks, ATMs, agricultural office, cooperative society and taluk office, residents said.Published - November 01, 2026 12:43 am ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }