For those travelling from Tirupur to Coimbatore, there is a diversion near Avinashi. A new road from Palankarai to Pudupalayam, for 7.5 km, has been thrown open for use. To some extent, this has eased traffic problems in Avinashi as substantial number of vehicles that was till recently passing through Avinashi now use the bypass.
Road widening
The bypass that was opened for traffic about a month ago is part of the road widening project (Rs. 913 crore) from Chengapalli to Walayar taken up by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The Chengapalli-Walayar 55-km stretch widening works are expected to be completed by next March.
The project has two more bypasses - Perumanallur and KG Chavady. The Avinashi bypass has come up at a cost of Rs. 140 crore and nearly 127 acres were acquired for this road. It passes through Rakkipalayam and Velayuthampalayam.
According to police sources in Avinashi, nearly 40 per cent of vehicles that were passing through Avinashi town now use the bypass. Private vehicles, omni buses, cargo trucks, and lorries to Coimbatore or Kerala from Tirupur and Erode have started using the bypass.
The traffic is diverted at two places (on Avinashi – Perumanallur Road and Avinashi-Tirupur Road) to the new bypass.
Diversion
An official of the NHAI adds that traffic is also diverted on Avinashi-Tirupur road because improvement works have been taken up at the main road – bypass junction.
The police sources say that buses and lorries going to Mettupalayam, Mysore, and Udhagamandalam through Avinashi continue to come to the town. The distance is shorter by nearly four km if they pass through Avinashi instead of taking the bypass.
Avinashi is a junction for vehicles to and from several cities in this region, including Coimbatore, Mettupalayam, Kotagiri, Coonoor, the Nilgiris, Seyur, Puliampatti, Mysore and Sathyamangalam, Gobichettipalayam, Tirupur, Erode, and Perundurai.
