After commissioning of Jayalalithaa bridge across Vaigai river, vehicular traffic on North Bank Road and Thathaneri has grown manifold.
Vehicles, including trucks from western parts of the State, have started using this bridge that connects Arapalayam with Aruldosspuram.This has led to putting the road overbridge at Sellur to optimum usage.
However, the shifting of fruit market to the Central vegetable market complex at Mattuthavani has only shifted traffic woes from Simmakkal to other parts of the city. Now, almost all trucks from Dindigul and other light vehicles prefer to use the North Bank Road-Thathaneri Road to reach Fatima College junction.
“The number of trucks using the Thathaneri stretch has witnessed a sudden spurt. The major factor for adding congestion to the traffic on the arterial roads linking Tamukkam, Goripalayam, North Bank Road, Thathaneri Road, Kalavasal and Theni Road is the timing. While school and college buses start using these roads around 7 a.m., trucks join them from 8 a.m., leading to congestion,” a traffic police officer said.
The vehicular traffic has grown manifold, so much so two traffic police had been posted at Aruldosspuram junction and Dindigul Road to regulate traffic, the officer said.
To ease traffic congestion in the heart of the city, the State Highways Department has charted project for a four-lane New Link Road from MGR Bus stand to Koodal Nagar. It will provide an alternative route via Surveyor Colony, Iyer Bungalow, Kulamangalam, Anaiyur to join Dindigul highway at Fatima College roundabout.
Under this work, estimated to cost ₹50 crore, the Highways department has proposed to widen and strengthen eight existing road stretches for 10.6 km, and provide additional safety measures such as medians to make it a new link road.
The Ring Road connecting Uthangudi and Kappalur has taken care of the heavy traffic connecting Tiruchi highway with Sivaganga Road, Ramanathapuram Road, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli highways. However, lack of a similar facility has been a major handicap for the city to connect the MGR bus stand with Dindigul highway and Theni highway.
The new facility promises to ease the congestion on the arterial roads in the city. “This will serve as a link or alternative route even to the people living along Alagarkoil Road, New Natham Road (from Oomachikulam to Tamukkam), Meenambalpuram, S. Alangulam, Kulamangalam, Koodal Nagar, to Dindigul Road and Mattuthavani.
“Under the project, a good stretch of the New Link Road will have four lane divided carriage way, and two lane with paved shoulder that would ensure free flow of traffic on the now congested narrow roads. Besides, the medians would prevent accidents,” a Highways engineer said.
“With the restriction on movement of trucks in the arterial roads, trucks have been using this route to reach Mattuthavani from Dindigul Road and back. However, these narrow roads are not able to take the increased vehicular traffic. The large number of school buses plying on these roads slow down traffic flow, said D. Ram Goutham, 29, a transport operator.
The widening of road will be a boon for road users of these thickly-populated residential areas, he added.
"The salient feature of the new project is that it will not acquire even an inch of land. Only the encroachments along the roads will be removed, hindrances like electric poles, tanks and few trees would be removed to widen them. Wherever we have enough width of the road, it will be made into four-way highway. In other narrower stretches, like on Kulamangalam Road, Anaiyur Road, it would be two-way with median,” the official said.
As per the plan, the Public Works Department channel running in between the two lanes of roads on Moondrumavadi and Uchaparambu Medu strech would be improved with the channel getting lining. The new project will ensure seamless double lane on both roads. "This will ensure quicker travel and take more vehicles," the officer added.
The narrow roads along the channel is resulting in frequent accidents, said V. Tamilselvi, 40, a homemaker of Shanti Nagar. “If the roads are widened and proper protective wall is constructed for the channel, it will make the road safer,” she said.
The New Link Road would connect Melur Road (near MGR Bus Stand), Alagarkoil Road (Surveyor Colony), New Natham Road (Iyer Bungalow), Kulamangalam Road (Koodal Pudur Police check post) and Alanganallur Road (near All India Radio station). A lot of residential areas on both sides of these roads and links will be benefited.
The work is likely to begin in New Year and expected to be completed in 18 months. For a growing city with more and more vehicles adding to the congestion on roads, the city residents and road users would only welcome more such facilities.
