Road users at risk on Mettupalayam Road

The State Highways Department is widening the road at three places on Mettupalayam road as these are identified as accident zones.

However, some of the newly laid stretches are giving away on the edges. The eroded roadsides pose risk to road users, especially after the rain.

Selvaraj, who has a farm near Narasimhanaikenpalayam, says the service road that was laid recently already has developed cracks. When it rained a couple of days ago, the soil at the edge of the road eroded completely and this could lead to accidents.

M. Devendran, secretary of the Coimbatore – Mettupalayam Road Protection Struggle Committee, says that in many places the road is uneven. If there are heavy rain, the road is damaged. “We have highlighted to the Highways officials. They say that the road is laid according to the norms. But, there are problems,” he said.

An official of the State Highways Department, NH wing, said that widening works have been completed at Mathampalayam and near Thudiyalur and are going on near Periyanaikenpalayam. Retention walls can be constructed if land is available. This is a project taken up without land acquisition. The width of the service roads should be 5.5 metres. In some places there is no land for this and hence the width is shorter. On damage to road edges, the official said that if the bitumen topping is not completed, there are chances for damage and these will be rectified. Similarly, works can be taken to protect the road edges.