Avanashi Road to be ready in nine months
The Rs. 27-crore six-laning of the Avanashi Road is progressing smoothly, District Collector Neeraj Mittal told a press conference here on Tuesday.The first phase had been completed with the removal of trees and encroachments on the Salem-Kochi Road from Neelambur to Thandumariamman Temple and finalisation of tenders. “Now the work of utilities like laying the underground pipes should be taken up.” The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board had also started re-locating its poles to the sides of the road. Based on the report of infrastructure consultants Wilbur Smith, who had suggested measures to decongest the city, four panels had been formed. One of the measures under consideration was the staggering of timings of schools on Avanashi Road. Besides, “no parking area” should be decided and alternatives for parking should be finalised. Whether bylanes could be used for the purpose was under consideration.Besides, as a number of bus stops were close to the traffic signals, they would have to be “re-positioned.” “We are waiting for the committee report.”He was confident that the entire work could be completed in eight to nine months including widening of the Hope College Bridge.Responding to a question on the Valankulam overbridge, that would considerably decongest the city but whose construction was dragging on for quite some time, he said he was certain that the entire work would be completed by the end of next month. “The slippage is only by days (as against his recent announcement of October middle),” he added.
The congestion on various roads was mainly due to encroachments. Already a survey of the Nanjundapuram Road and the Thadagam Road had been completed. And the former would be four-laned at a cost of Rs.93 lakh.For the Thadagam Road, up to Anaikatti, Rs.1 crore had been sanctioned. During October it had been planned to remove the encroachments from Ramanthapuram to Nanjundapuram and Gandhi Park to Kovilmedu. All the encroachments on the highways would be removed by December.The Collector said that Coimbatore Highway Division that comprised Coimbatore and Tirupur Revenue Divisions had been sanctioned Rs.127 crore for various developmental works. Of that, so far Rs.53 crore had been spent.
To a question, he said the roads under the jurisdiction of the State Highways had been prioritised for the widening and improvement. There were about 20 roads which had no links.“If these links were to be provided, the traffic velocity would go up.” As this exercise involved acquisition of land, proposals were getting ready.Besides, a 100-ft scheme road linking Mettupalayam Road (from Thudilyalur junction) with Palakkad Road for a distance of about 25 km was contemplated.“This looks pretty nice on the map and would substantially decongest the city roads if it were to come through.” But the administration was trying to ascertain how much of the stretch was with the local bodies and how much was with the State Highways so that a concrete proposal could be evolved.
