With the existing railway underpass at K.K. Nagar on Chennimalai Road witnessing frequent traffic congestion, Erode South District Bharatiya Janata Party has urged the district administration to construct another underpass so that vehicle flow is not disrupted.
A petition submitted to the Collector said that the underpass was constructed 50 years ago which is very narrow and with less height as lorries could not pass through it.
Currently, residential areas, educational institutions and commercial establishments have come up in large numbers on Chennimalai Road turning it into a busy stretch. Also, vehicles from the city use the road to reach the Outer Ring Road that pass through Rangampalayam. Frequent movement of buses of educational institutions, commercial vehicles and other four-wheelers keep the stretch busy.
The existing underpass is very narrow as only a bus can pass through it from one direction at a given point of time. This results in vehicles piling up on both sides of the underpass during morning and evening hours affecting students and the common public.
Also, lorries cannot pass through the underpass as the drivers have to take alternative roads regularly.
During rainy season, water stagnates at the underpass and motorists, particularly four-wheelers and two-wheelers, cannot use it. The road leads to Chennimalai where the famous Arulmigu Subramanya Swamy Temple is located.
Devotees coming in omni buses from other States visit the temple regularly. But, such buses cannot pass through the underpass, the petition said.
Since the development of the area is crippled, another wider underpass with more height should be established near the existing one as adequate space is available. The petition wanted one-way traffic movement to be followed in the underpasses so that movement of vehicles in both directions is not disrupted.
