Plea to widen highway stretch

Coimbatore: Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi has demanded the widening of the Salem-Kochi highway, passing along Coimbatore, from Neelambur to Madukkarai.
Leading a protest march on Sunday, president of KMDK Easwaran said, “The highway is a six-lane road till Neelambur but becomes a four-lane after that.” Once it crosses Madukkarai, the road becomes wider again, he said. “We have been demanding the road to be widened in this stretch too, for a long time. Every time the government authorities promise that it will be widened, but the work never happens,” Easwaran said.
He said 30 years back, when the highway was laid, four-lane was adequate. But now, given the explosion in vehicles, the narrow stretch has become inadequate, he said. Easwaran said they have petitioned the national highway authorities and submitted a petition to the Union ministry.
“We are going to meet Union highways minister Nitin Gadkari and request again,” he said.