Avanashi Road Work Will Be Completed As Scheduled
The widening of the 15.8 km stretch of Avanashi Road will be completed as scheduled, officials here has said. The State Government has taken up the work at a cost of Rs. 27 crore. A number of education institutions, industries, mills, corporate houses, hospitals and auditoriums dot the road on its sides. It is the only access point to reach the Coimbatore Airport. Work included 13 bridges – four big ones and nine small/minor bridges
It connects Coimbatore with Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri, Bangalore and Chennai. The work that began in November was divided into five sections. Five contractors are entrusted with the job. The project suffered some delay twice. Once when migrant workers who went to celebrate festival failed to return on time. And then when quarrying of blue metal was delayed because of the long spell of summer showers that resulted in water stagnation.
The authorities claim that the project is progressing according to schedule. But motorists using the stretch feel that the work should be expedited considering the heavy volume of traffic. The Divisional Engineer of the State Highways, Mr. Vellingiri, said that work was being taken up in single width and then on double width to ensure that flow of traffic was not affected on either direction. Work could not be taken up at night because of want of adequate lighting, he said.
When asked about the delay and the likely impact on the project in view of the cost escalation because of the rise in prices of construction materials, Mr. Vellingiri said that cost escalation would not hamper the project in any way since the work was bound by the tender conditions. When asked about the median space (that looked like a huge crater) left on the middle of the road (especially after raising the road surface) posing a threat to motorists, Mr. Vellingiri said that the median work was yet to commence because of the consultations with the Corporation for the design for creating the infrastructure required for the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).
To ensure the safety of motorists, the crater was being filled with gravel now. He added that the work included 13 bridges – four big ones and nine small/minor bridges. Mr. Vellingiri added that the entire road work would be finished by June 15 well ahead of the Tender Schedule and the bridge works before August end.
