Meeting on flyover construction held

Coimbatore: A consultative meeting was held at the collectorate on Saturday to discuss construction of flyovers at Singanallur on Trichy Road, Saibaba Colony on Mettupalayam Road and Saravanampatti on Sathyamangalam Road.
Senior officials of the district administration, highways, police and city corporation attended the meeting along with members of industrial associations, trade bodies, residents’ associations, consumer forums and train passengers’ associations. It was chaired by electricity minister V Senthil Balaji.
Construction of the flyovers was kept pending due to a recent communication from the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), a source said. The stakeholders urged the state government to construct the flyovers immediately and simultaneously commence work to establish metro rail in Coimbatore.
Flyover infrastructure should not be delayed for the metro train project as both are important for the development of the city, said director of Kongu Global Forum J Sathish. “Flyovers are the need of the hour to decongest roads,” he said.
The importance of acquiring land on Sathyamangalam Road and expansion of the road from Textool flyover to Kovilpalayam was also discussed.
It was suggested that a two-tier flyover, with the first level for vehicles and the second level for metro rail, from Textool to Saravanampatti, will cater to the rising vehicle population.
N Subramanian, secretary of Podanur Train Users’ Association, urged the highways department to extend Ukkadam-Athupalam flyover till Kurichi Junction.
Chief minister M K Stalin will study the recommendations shared and will take a decision at the earliest, Balaji said.
Coimbatore collector G S Sameeran, mayor Kalpana Anandakumar and corporation commissioner M Prathap were present.