Heavy vehicles allowed on Yercaud ghat roads

With temporary restoration works on the Salem Junction (Gorimedu way) - Yercaud and Kuppanur – Yercaud ghat roads where landslips occurred being completed, heavy vehicles were allowed to use the stretches from Wednesday.

Due to incessant rain, landslips occurred at the second and third hairpin bends on the ghat road from Salem Junction to Yercaud. Likewise, landslips occurred at many spots on the 17.4-km ghat road from Yercaud to Kuppanur in Shevaroyan Hills in the first week of November. Hence, heavy vehicles were not allowed to use the stretches for over a month while other vehicles were allowed to use the ghat roads at a limited speed.

Temporary restoration works on both the stretches were carried out in the last one month and were completed. Since rain has stopped, the district administration has decided to allow heavy vehicles at a permitted speed of 30 km.

In a release, Collector S. Karmegam said heavy vehicles should not overtake on the ghat roads and also should not operate their vehicles at the edge (valley side) of the roads. He said vehicles should operate only with the allowed goods weight and drivers should follow all the road rules without fail. “Heavy vehicles are allowed to use the stretches only if they follow the norms,” he said.