Road users demand speedy completion of service road at Four Roads junction

Delay in land acquisition cited as the reason for the slow pace of works

Vehicles passing through the narrow lane along Four Roads junction in Salem.

Residents and motorists have urged authorities to complete construction of service road between Four Roads junction and New Bus Stand road at the earliest.

Motorists here complained that with road works progressing on Thamannan Road, they were forced to drive on the wrong side to reach New Bus Stand, if they were to skip the flyover or take the narrow lane.

A flyover was constructed at the Four Roads junction as part of the two-tier flyover project connecting major junctions in the city.

The 7.87 km-long two-tier flyover connects major junctions here including AVR Roundabaout, Kuranguchavadi, New Bus Stand, Hasthampatti and Omalur Main Road that leads to the District Collectorate.

The flyover stretch from Anna Park to Kurunguchavadi passes over Four Roads junction and has a downward lane that ends near the TVS bus stop. Though service road works from New Bus Stand to Four Roads junction have been completed, works are yet to gather pace in the return direction.

V. Raj, a resident of Shankar Nagar here, said that many businesses were operating on the service road and people were forced to either drive on the wrong side or manage through the narrow lane.

It is quite riskier to drive through the road during rains, he said.

Officials from the State Highways Department said that drain construction works were progressing in the service lane and the road works would be completed once land acquisition process was over.

According to officials, 10-12 metres of land from the wall of the flyover was being acquired for the service road and due to objections for removing a temple, the land acquisition process was getting delayed. Peace committee meetings were being conducted and works were expected to be completed soon, a senior official said.