Coimbatore: In a bid to decongest city roads by creating more space on the existing ones for smooth and free flow of traffic, the State Highways Department has embarked on a project to carry out 72 works on 17 roads at an outlay of Rs. 59.85 crore.

Tamil meet

The works would be over and thrown open to the public before the commencement of the World Classical Tamil Conference in June.

The notable works include widening of the North Coimbatore-Pappanaickenpalayam-Lakshmi Mills-Ramanathapuram-Nanjundapuram-Podanur road and the road connecting Tiruchi Road with Avanashi Road from Singanallur to Hope College Junction.

With regard to the North Coimbatore – Podanur road, the highways authorities have begun widening of the road from Gandhipuram to Lakshmi Mills Junction from end-to-end (from extreme boundary to the other) for creating more space and from Lakshmi Mills Junction to Ramanathapuram into a four-lane road for a total stretch of 8.6 km.

From Ramanathapuram to Podanur via Nanjundapuram it would again be an end-to-end widening and in narrow stretches the road would be provided with pavement shoulders.

Earth-free

The entire stretch would be earth-free on either side so that vehicles could negotiate and manoeuvre easily eliminating traffic snarls.

Similarly widening of the Kamarajar Road from Hope College to Singanallur would be from one extreme boundary to the other for free movement of vehicles.

On Avanashi Road to create more manoeuvring space for vehicles that require slowing down, paved blocks would be put up from the road boundary to the pavement making it earth-free completely. A number of other such roads were being taken up.

The authorities propose to complete the works before the end of May.

Once these works are carried out, arterial and major city roads would remain decongested.

Courtesy - Hindu