Madurai city traffic police have restored one-way traffic on Alagarkoil Road stretch between IOC petrol bunk at Tallakulam and Tirumukkulam North Road junction from Tuesday.
This move has made the entire stretch of Alagarkoil Road between IOC bunk near Eco Park and Tamukkam junction one-way.
“The very design of the ramp of elevated corridor of New Natham Road that helps vehicles to climb down on Alagarkoil Road has been to maintain one-way traffic on this stretch of the road,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), S. Arumugasamy.
He said that the two-way traffic on this stretch of road was temporarily allowed to enable construction of the arm on the end of Gokhale Road which facilitates vehicles to climb up the elevated expressway.
The temporary median, including iron barricades and concrete blocks, which were kept on the middle of the road, has been removed.
“After the commissioning of the elevated corridor, the number of vehicles coming from Tamukkam and taking right turn from Gokhale Road on Tirumukkulam North Road to reach the Alagarkoil Road to proceed towards K. Pudur and Mattuthavani has significantly dropped,” Mr. Arumugasamy said.
Making this stretch one-way was the only solution to de-congest traffic movement on Alagarkoil Road at Tallakulam.
Consequently, Tirumukkulam Road cannot be taken to proceed towards K. Pudur on Alagarkoil Road. However, vehicles coming from Tamukkam on Gokhale Road can use Tirumukkulam North Road to make a U-turn towards Tamukkam, similar to Tirumukkulam South Road.
However, two-way traffic would be allowed on other by-lanes connecting Gokahle Road and Alagarkoil Road like Khan Abdul Gafar Khan Road and Lajapathi Roy Road. “Vehicles coming from Gokhale road can use these two by-lanes to proceed towards K. Pudur using the service road on Alagarkoil Road,” he added.
Mr. Arumugasamy said that the new traffic arrangement would be a permanent measure even after the Chithirai festival.
