Two members of a family that lost its loved ones in an accident on the Kochi – Salem National Highway 544 inaugurated a tar-topped service road that connects the NH with the Erode – Sathyamangalam State Highway, near Chithode, here on Friday.
Banumathi’s husband Thangaraj and son Sabari died in an accident on the highway three years ago. The two-wheeler the two were riding was hit by a vehicle when they attempted to cross the road from Perodu to Chithode.
On Friday, Banumathi and her daughter Kaviya inaugurated the tar-topped service road in the presence of Minister for Housing and Urban Development S. Muthusamy, Collector H. Krishnanunni, District Revenue Officer Murugesan and Erode RDO P. Premalatha. The service road was laid at a cost of ₹ 40 lakh.
The service road was full of pits with gravel protruding at many places. Road users were demanding that the road be tar-topped for over 15 years now. Recently, the Minister inspected the road and discussed steps to re-lay it. Soon works began to re-lay the road measuring 930m length and 5.5m width.
The Minister told mediapersons that 45 accidents had taken place on the Chithode stretch of NH and there was a long-pending demand for tar-topping. “Work was completed in four days with the help of volunteers,” Mr. Muthusamy said and added that the road from Perodu to Chithode would be closed permanently.
