Motorists traversing the 35 km stretch of State Highway 202 connecting Mannargudi with Muthupettai in Tiruvarur district are enduring a horrendous journey with danger lurking at each of numerous curves and kinks that make up the section.
While the highway section has a lot of curves, the Highways Department has not cared to install proper sign-boards ahead of the several zones cautioning motorists of the impending danger.
To add to their agony, monsoon rains had eroded the carriageway margins in several places and officials have either partially repaired them or not attended to them at all exposing the travellers to the risk of skidding off the highway if they veered to the edge.
The section is an apology of a State Highway and could hardly provide space for two heavy vehicles to cross over or overtake while on the move.
One of the motorists need to exhibit the true spirit of sportsmanship for smooth travel or end up getting involved in avoidable fracas with other road users.
But the plight of drivers of cars and two-wheelers that are forced to the edge of the carriageway by heavy vehicles is a lot more miserable as they must show enough dexterity in dodging dangerous plunge into fields abutting the road on the eastern side or into the Bamaniyaru riverbed that meanders adjacent to the west of the highway from Mannargudi to Perugavazhanthan.
In some spots, there is very little space for even cyclists or two-wheeler riders to stand side and allow the oncoming vehicles to pass through. “Rains during the month of Karthigai (November-December) had left the road margins eroded in many places. Of course, officials tried their bit plugging the breaches with bamboo strings and sand bags to bolster them. But the ad hoc measures have either given way or do precious little to aver the danger to road users,” rues a farmer R. Sekar of Palaiyur.
Mr. Sekar and other farmers pointed to heaps of small boulders piled up on the roadside to help pedestrians have a toehold and avoid sliding into the abutting fields.
Repair all spots
“The Highways Department needs to repair all the spots where temporary measures were resorted to plug the breaches in the aftermath of the monsoon rains.
Also, it is perplexing why they have not installed caution sign-boards ahead of dangerous curves and kinks en route and they would do well to establish them at least for the benefit of those new to the stretch,” urges grocer P. Anbalagan of Kovilur.
