The Coimbatore Corporation, at its urgent council meeting on Thursday, decided to ask the State Government’s Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited to prepare estimates for skywalks at five places in the city.
As per the resolution the Council passed, the civic body has decided to build or erect skywalks near the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, Coimbatore Railway Junction, Ramanathapuram Junction and Singanallur Junction.
Earlier, in a resolution passed on November 30, 2011, the Corporation had decided to have the skywalks near the hospital, railway junction, and Ukkadam and Mettupalayam Road bus stands. But following a suggestion from Mayor S.M. Velusamy, the last two places were left out of the proposal.
Then, the Corporation had also decided to approach the Local Planning Authority, or Members of Legislative Assembly, or the State Government for funds to execute the project, which had both skywalks with and without escalators. As the Council took up the issue for debate, Ward 52 Councillor A. Nandhakumar suggested that the Corporation could also consider setting up another skywalk across the Cross Cut Road, near the Corporation’s parking lot.
Mayor S.M. Velusamy immediately acceded to the demand, taking the number of skywalks across the city to five.
The decision to have five skywalks in the city comes close on the heels of another traffic congestion-easing measure. The consultant engaged for preparing reports on multi-level car parking will make a presentation before the Corporation officials.
According to Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy, the consultant was expected to submit the project report for perusal on December 5.
The Mayor, Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and other officials from the engineering wing would study the proposal for approval. If accepted, the Corporation would forward the same to the office of the Commissioner for Municipal Administration for administrative sanction. The Corporation, as announced by Mayor S.M. Velusamy in the budget, had proposed the construction of multi-level car parking facilities on Cross Cut Road, D.B. Road and Big Bazaar Street. It had decided to adopt a wait and watch approach on the car parking proposed in Ukkadam, as it should not affect the flyover proposed by the Chief Minister.
Once the Highways Department officials finalised the alignment for the flyover, the Corporation would then decide the design for the car parking there. The reason was that there should be no problems in execution of both the projects.
Mr. Ponnusamy had said that the Corporation had asked the consultant to prepare the DPRs in such a manner that the multilevel car parking lots also doubled up as shopping complexes. All the car parking structures would be in the ‘ground-plus three floors’ format, with three floors for shopping and five for parking. The five parking floors would be accommodated with the three floors of parking space. Once the Corporation obtained the administrative sanction, it would move the project for technical clearance.
