Delay in construction of a traffic island at the Tiruchi-Lalgudi-Ariyalur road junction at Lalgudi has been posing a serious problem in the flow of traffic.
Although the road overbridge was constructed about two years ago, the work on the construction of the traffic island is being delayed due to delay in land acquisition.
The traffic island has been planned at an important junction of the Tiruchi - Lalgudi, Lalgudi- Ariyalur and Lalgudi-Kumulur highway. A large number of trucks laden with raw materials for the cement factories in Ariyalur district and lorries laden with cement bags from these factories have to pass through Lalgudi and cross this area.
The traffic police have been toiling hard, particularly during peak hours from 8 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. and from 4.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. when a number of school vans and college buses run through Lalgudi town. There is no bypass road in Lalgudi and the traffic island alone can be the solution, says traffic police personnel.
According to an estimate, the diameter of the traffic island will be about 30 metres and an additional 8.5 metre will be required for ensuring drainage and pavement. Though some effort is being taken for the acquisition of the land, the same should be expedited.
According to official sources, the cost escalation due to time over-run and cost over-run of raw materials has been causing a concern. It was originally estimated to set up the traffic island at an estimate of ₹ 1.50 crore but it will be higher than the original estimate prepared four years ago.
The provision of the traffic island is inevitable for achieving the maximum advantage of the road over bridge. In the absence of the traffic island, the traffic snarls has been on the rise, forcing the police personnel to utilise the services of volunteers during festival periods.
