Sungam to Ramanathapuram flyover project gets Centre’s nod

Coimbatore: A few years down the line, commuters might not be stuck in traffic congestion for long as they are waiting now on Trichy Road in the city, as the central government has given its nod to execute Sungam to Ramanathapuram flyover project.
The 30ft-wide and 3.6km-long (approximately) flyover would start near Highways Colony and end after a private school at Sowripalayam Pirivu at Ramanathapuram as per the design, an official from the national highways wing of the state highways department said. The state highways department is in charge of constructing the flyover. The flyover will have approach roads as well.

The traffic congestion on Trichy Road is expected to be reduced drastically as 70% of vehicles towards Singanallur and beyond would use the flyover. The travel time is also expected to be reduced by at least 10 minutes, the official said, Further, vehicles need not wait at two major junctions – Sungam Junction and Ramanathapuram Junction – once the flyover is constructed and thrown open to the public.

“A detailed project report (DPR) for the project is already prepared and we are in the process of preparing cost estimation. Contractors are being invited to construct the flyover and tender would be floated in February. Shortly after the contractor is finalized, work order would be issued. The construction period is estimated to be two years,” said the official. Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami recently announced that the project would be implemented at a cost of Rs 213 crore and the construction work is expected to commence from February.

The department has carried out soil test, every 50 metres, on the road and hard rocks were found beneath, the official said, adding that they would be laying foundation a few metres deep. The official said there was no requirement of land acquisition for the project as of now.

Meanwhile, sources privy to the project said initially, the department has sent proposal to construct flyover from Sungam Junction to Singanllur Junction. As it involved land acquisition near Singanallur, it has later changed its plan to connect to Ramanathapuram.

“It is one of the much-needed projects to reduce traffic congestion in the city and it would be much helpful for those who travel to Singanllur from Sungam and beyond. We have also suggested the highways department to consider connecting the flyover with Valankulam Road, so that commuters from Ukkadam and Perur would also be benefitted,” secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause K Kathirmathiyon said.

He said after a long time, the district is getting its much-awaited infrastructural developments.