There is a sense disappointment among the travelling public that four-laning of Chithode-Gobi stretch has not been initiated by Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project wing of the Highways Department more than two years after conduct of public hearings by the Revenue Department for execution of the project under fast-track mode.
The 30-km stretch was taken up for first phase execution of the World Bank-funded Erode-Gobi-Sathy-Mettupalayam-Kotagiri-Ooty road widening project, under the premise that there will be relatively lesser problems in land acquisition.
According to sources, the Revenue Department has carried out the procedure for acquiring land to the extent of 117 acres in panchayats and town panchayats en route. But, there is still no clarity on whether there will be a bypass road at Gobi.
The business community in Gobichettipalayam is reportedly divided over the proposal for widening the existing road in the urban limits, since more land on the sides will have to be acquired. Farmers in Gobi area, on their part, have been emphasising that construction of the bypass road that will entail acquisition of several hundreds of acres of farmland was avoidable. A bypass road, in fact, will increase the distance between Gobi and Sathy by seven km.
Completion of the 30-km stretch under first phase will reduce the journey time between Gobi and Chithode by at least 10 minutes, according to regular travellers.
Land requirement of 110 m width was specified in village panchayats,100 m in town panchayats, and 65 m in Gobi Municipality.
The World Bank has insisted on execution of the project with minimal social, economic and environmental impact, and hence, the department is exploring the option of relocating roadside trees, and to cut down land acquisition wherever possible, sources said.
