The Coimbatore Corporation, in its enthusiasm to improve the Cross Cut Road for both pedestrians and motorists, took up a tactical design project only to be rapped on the knuckles by the State Highways Department.
On January 30, the Corporation in association with the German agency, GIZ, painted road edges in fluorescent colours, placed pots to delineate bicycling track, and set up temporary seating arrangements to help pedestrians relax, on a 900m stretch of the 1.10km road.
The Corporation had planned to place the structures for 15 days to observe vehicle and pedestrian movement and take feedback from road users, and shopkeepers so that it could consider taking up project for permanent facelift.
But on February 4, the Corporation had its knuckles rapped by the State Highways Department, which objected to the reduction in carriage way.
Sources in the civic body said the Department engineers had objected to the reduction in carriage way saying the Corporation ought to have informed the Department and taken its concurrence before embarking on such a project.
The engineers also ordered removal of some of the temporary structures saying it could not be allowed.
The Corporation sources said in placing pots to delineate the bicycling track, the Corporation had reduced the carriage way by at least a metre on the 7.50 m wide road to draw the Department’s anger.
After the objection, officials in the Coimbatore Smart City Limited met with the Highways Department engineers to explain the project and the latter asked the officials to return with a written request for approval.
Consumer activist K. Kathirmathiyon said the road being the property of the Highways Department, it was imperative that the Corporation took the approval.
