Delay in identifying alternate routes delays Madukkarai underpass work

COIMBATORE: The delay in identifying alternate routes and diverting traffic for the Madukkarai Marappalam expansion work has led to increased congestion, and created a traffic bottleneck on the stretch between Kerala and Coimbatore.

"While the Palakkad Railway division was ready to start the work, the delay in mapping alternative routes for road traffic diversion has been under discussion for more than two months and it has halted the entire work," said police sources.

The district police announced a traffic diversion on March 14, and the work was expected to start immediately. However, it was dropped citing difficulties in regulating traffic. As the road traffic remained the same, the underpass expansion was halted.

"Once the district administration approves the traffic diversion, the Railways department (Palakkad division) will initiate the construction of the underpass. The state highways department will develop the junction by acquiring land. However, the proposed route for traffic diversion through Madukkarai Market Road and Chettipalayam Pirivu has another railway crossing (underpass) where a drainage canal disrupts the traffic. Before creating a traffic diversion, this must be fixed," said an official attached with the highways department.

"Heavy vehicles diverted on the Salem - Kochi national highway must access the L&T toll plaza. Many colleges and schools are operating in the stretch and their vehicles will be charged once the diversion is implemented. Hence, an exemption has been sought from toll charges until the diversion is removed," said the official.

The Railways has sought one year to construct the underpass.

While the police and the highways department are working on alternate routes, the education and transport departments are gathering a list of vehicles that need an exemption from paying toll. After obtaining NHAI approval, the diversion will be implemented, the official added.

Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar said, "We have discussed this with all stakeholder departments. A detailed plan needs to be worked out along with the police department, and the diversion will be created at the earliest."

The wooden railway bridge, located 2km from the Kochi-Salem national highway, is the only easy access point to the road connecting Kerala and Coimbatore and has no toll plazas till the border. Based on the growing traffic, the Coimbatore district administration proposed a plan to dismantle the existing structure and reconstruct the railway bridge with a four-lane carriageway, and Rs 34 crore has been allotted for the purpose on a 50:50 fund sharing basis between the Railways and the highways department.