With increase in vehicle density on Karur Main Road that passes through Kollampalayam resulting in traffic congestion, motorists called for developing Old Karur Road that passes through Marappalam to reach Solar.
There is a sharp increase in the number of vehicles using Karur Main Road from Kalaimadu Silai to Solar owing to mushrooming of residential areas due to the expansion of Corporation limits by including Kasipalayam municipality. Major residential areas like Shastri Nagar, Moolapalayam, Rangampalayam, K.K. Nagar, Solar, Kollampalayam and Vendipalayam are brought under the city limits that led to congestion on the arterial road.
However, Old Karur Road that passes through Marappalam and Vendipalayam to reach Solar remains underdeveloped due to the presence of three railway level crossings.
Despite the area brought under the city limits, no development works were carried out and seen as a garbage dumping yard, said V. Kuppan (65), a resident of Vendipalayam. He said that trains to Chennai and Karur passed through the area frequently and hence gates at the level crossings were closed often.
“This prevents vehicle users from using the stretch,” he added.
The Corporation’s dump yard and absence of railway overbridge on the stretch kept the area out of development so far, said Pusha (37) of Kaliamman Temple area. Only three buses were operated on the stretch and the residents depended on autorickshaws for transportation.
Karur Road was very congested and there was an urgent need for developing Old Karur Road that led to Vendipalayam barrage, Kokkarayanpettai and Solar, said P. Kasinathan, who drives every day into the city for work. He said that widening the existing road and constructing a railway overbridge over the Erode – Salem railway track, near Konavaikal, would easily reduce congestion on Karur Road.
“The city is developing and alternative roads to decongest the existing roads are vital,” he added.
