First sanctioned in 2001, the flyover stayed incomplete for over two decades because an electricity board substation blocking the alignment was never relocated at the planning stage. Phase 3 only opened in June 2023, leaving roughly 200,000 residents to endure prolonged traffic chaos.
On record
The official record states: "Highway officials admitted the substation relocation should have been arranged during initial design; a resident leader called officers "lethargic.""
Filed as "Under repeat delay (decades-long partial construction)" and dated to Sanctioned 2001; phased completion through 2023, this entry sits under the "Original ₹86 crore (2001); ballooned past ₹200 crore in later phases" line of the public accounts.
What to expect
- Pillars reaching skyward with no deck to justify them.
- A signboard promising an opening date that has since passed, unbothered.
- Traffic queuing patiently beneath the unfinished span.
- Rebar exposed where the road was meant to continue.
Sourcing
2 public sources — news reports, RTI replies and civic archives — corroborate this entry. The citation trail is listed below for anyone who would like to follow up with the department concerned.
“The contractor left. The commitment to the bit remained.”— Blunderlust Editorial Desk
Sources
- https://www.dtnext.in/news/city/after-20-yrs-incomplete-perungalathur-flyover-continues-to-woe-over-2-l-locals-794446
- https://www.dtnext.in/news/city/perungalathur-flyover-phase-3-opens-but-fails-to-shut-woes-797767
Visitor reviews
“Went past three times before I was sure I had the right spot. The soil test was optimistic and the soil disagreed.”
“Visited with the kids, who found the whole thing hilarious. It has been re-inaugurated more times than I have visited.”
“Came out here to settle a bet. The budget document is visibly thicker than the deck.”
