Traffic congestion on the Dindigul Bypass Road and Tirupparankundram Road are set to ease with the National Highway Authority of India widening both the roads.
Besides widening, the road surface would be improved. As part of the Rs. 11-crore project, the stretch of highway between the two railway gates in Tirupparankundram is being widened. Construction of a retaining wall in the Thenkal tank is under way.
“The retaining wall for 615 metres under construction would help widen the road to 11 metres, with an addition of three metres,” he said. With no traffic interception on this entire stretch, the proposed width would be adequate for free flow of two-way vehicular traffic, he added. If need be, the road could be further widened.
The road stretch between Thiagarajar College of Engineering and Palanganatham junction would be widened to 14 metres. A median would ensure hassle-free two-way traffic flow.
The official said that the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, M.K. Alagiri, took special interest in getting funds from the Union Government. “This included Rs. 29.5 lakh for shifting of electric poles on the entire stretch to the road margin,” he added.
The stretches between Thanakkankulam and Fatima College would be widened between 10 metres and 20 metres, an engineer said. The work on the nine-km-stretch was expected to be completed in three months.
The delay in shifting of the poles and transformer was slowing down the work, he added. The officials have planned to remove various encroachments on the roadsides in Palangantham, Moolakarai and Tirupparankundram soon.
The engineer said that the width of the road on the Bypass Road could be up to 20 metres in some stretches, except for some portions where it would be as less as 10 metres.
In the absence of the Ring Road connecting the Dindigul Road with Tirumangalam, all the vehicles, including trucks, had to pass through this stretch to reach southern districts. In this context, the widening work would provide a major relief to road-users.
