At last, there seems to be some relief coming for road users from traffic jams at Goripalayam junction, provided the proposal of State Highways department for constructing an elevated highway on Alagarkoil Road from Tallakulam Outpost to Albert Victor Bridge gets clearance.
Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced in 2012-13 about the construction of a flyover between Tamukkam and A.V. Bridge to decongest the five-road junction at Goripalayam. However, litigation has kept the project in the backburner for years.
However, it looks like the wait is worth as the flyover has given way for an elevated highway that would also decongest traffic at Tamukkum junction and Palam Station Road junction at Sellur also.
The major traffic flow at Goripalayam junction is between Alagarkoil Road and A.V. Bridge and from a good chunk of vehicles coming from Palam Station Road that cut through the junction to reach Panangal Road.
“The flow of traffic in these two routes consumes a lot of time and hence, vehicles get piled up on Alagarkoil Road up to Tamukkam junction,” said a Madurai City Traffic Police Officer.
“Once, the elevated highway with two arms, one from Alagarkoil to A.V. Bridge and another from Alagarkoil to Sellur (beyond the approach road linking Kalpalam bridge with Palam Station Road) are in place, vehicles that cut through the traffic from multiple sides will come down drastically,” said an Engineer from State Highways.
A flyover can be justified if 10,000 vehicles pass through a junction in one hour. However, at Goripalayam, at least 13,000 vehicles are passing in one hour, he added.
“It takes at least 15 minutes to cross the Goripalayam junction during peak hours. A flyover is badly needed here,” said M. Ramesh, 52, a civil engineer from Viswanathampuram.
A regular user of Goripalayam junction, Mr. Ramesh said that the elevated highway will be an infrastructure to fulfil futuristic needs. However, he wants the Highways officials to have the best design of piers so that devotees do not face any hindrance during Chithirai festival when Lord Kallazhagar comes to the city. The elevated highway is of three parts.
At the outpost, it has been proposed to merge the new elevated highway with that of the first elevated highway of the city under construction by National Highways Authority of India on New Natham Road between Chokkikkulam and Oomachikulam.
While vehicles from New Natham Road will have a seamless elevated highway from Ooomachikulam up to Anna Statue on East Veli Street, vehicles from Melur Road will climb up the Goripalayam elevated highway at Outpost.
“An approach road and ramp of 7.5 metres would be constructed at Outpost for the vehicles coming from Melur Road and then after the merger with NHAI bridge, the bridge would become 12 metres up to the approach road of A.V. Bridge,” he said.
This entire Goripalayam elevated highway will provide one-way vehicular traffic towards A.V. Bridge. For the vehicles coming from Old Natham Road and Postal and Telegram Nagar, another ramp would be provided at Tamukkam along the BSNL office for climbing up the bridge.
The alignment of the bridge that would run in the middle of Alagarkoil Road up to Tamukkam junction will thereafter run over the left half of the remaining part of Alagarkoil.
The elevated road then would have a second arm branching out some 100 metres ahead of the junction and it would take a right turn towards Palam Station Road and landing would be provided beyond the Pandalgudi channel junction.
As the elevated bridge would land at the approach road of A.V. Bridge, a new bridge across Vaigai river, parallel and close to A.V. Bridge would be constructed that would facilitate free flow of vehicles coming from Panangal Road to reach the south of Vaigai.
The vehicular movement on Alagarkoil Road under the bridge would continue as usual. Vehicles from Palam Station Road going towards Panangal Road and Alagarkoil Road would go under the bridges as usual.
Another highways official said that the elevated road would ensure lesser traffic on Tamukkam junction and that would help reopening of right turn from Goripalayam towards Gandhi Museum Road and right turn from Gandhi Museum Road towards Gokahale Road providing shorter routes for road users.
“The project is at the proposal level. It requires clearances from multiple agencies and technical approval from State government. Based on the design, land acquisition will have to be taken up,” he added. The estimated cost of the work is ₹ 200 crore.
