Coimbatore residents voice concern over new road’s quality

COIMBATORE:  Several residents, including the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation’s (CCMC) East Zone Chairperson Lakshmi Ellanselvi Karthick have voiced concerns over the new asphalt road which will be laid between the Thanneerpandal - Vilankurichi Road and suspect the civic body is paving a fragile road on a path that is used extensively by heavy vehicles.

The Thanneerpandal - Vilankurichi Road in ward 24 in the East zone is one of the vital roads in the city, which connects Saravanampatti and Cheranma Nagar with CODISSIA trade fair complex and TIDEL Park. The road was severely damaged due to the gas and UGD pipeline installation works and the rains further worsened the road, which irked the motorists, who demanded the civic body to repair the road as soon as possible. The CCMC decided to pave a new road once the other works are completed at a cost of Rs 1.83 crore.

The chairperson told TNIE, “The road is always busy due to the presence of numerous IT firms on TIDEL park and a couple of industries. With numerous containers and heavy load trucks utilising the road to transport goods from the warehouse and industries on a daily basis, the civic body has planned to pave a 3-inch road instead of a 9-inch road, which is really short. The officials must lay a 6-inch road at least.”

“The road will be too fragile and cannot stand even for three months with the heavy trucks commuting back and forth every day. We have requested the commissioner and other officials to pave a strong and heavy-duty road and they have assured us to look into the matter,” she added.

Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said, “The road was proposed during the first phase of road works that were taken up across the city. So officials had prepared estimates for a  three inch road and received the funds for it. As it will be constructed by scheme funds, we can’t do anything now. But considering the pleas, we are planning to pave a strong road and allot more funds for it. I’ll inspect the road in the next couple of days and we shall take a call on it.”