Palanganatham-TVS Nagar junction needs a longtime solution

February 22, 2020 08:56 pm | Updated February 23, 2020 04:28 am IST - Madurai

Traffic congestion during peak hours at Palanganatham-TVS Nagar junction in Madurai on Saturday.

Traffic congestion during peak hours at Palanganatham-TVS Nagar junction in Madurai on Saturday.

Chock-a-block traffic at the TVS Nagar-Palanganatham junction on Tirupparankundram Main Road is a common sight during peak hours. Every day, hundreds of vehicles pass through this crucial junction, which has a relatively narrow road.

Residents and road users say that the barricades, which were erected around a month back, for a certain distance at the junction, have helped in easing the situation to an extent. But, they feel that there is a need for a long time solution to address the traffic congestion.

The congestion at the junction happens mainly when vehicles coming from TVS Nagar and those bound towards Tirupparankundram, take a right turn at the junction towards Palanganatham.

Similarly, the vehicles from Palanganatham and those coming from the Tirupparankundram side take a right turn at the junction to reach TVS Nagar rather than taking a ‘U’ turn at the Palanganatham roundabout to reach TVS Nagar.

“The barricades were erected to make sure that vehicle users take a ‘U’ turn at Palanganatham roundabout to reach TVS Nagar and move towards Tirupparankundram. However, when police personnel are not present, the vehicle users tend to make all kinds of violations. They clash with the vehicles coming from the opposite direction and lead to congestion at the junction,” says P. Nagendran, an autorickshaw driver.

To avoid this havoc, vehicle users can make use of the road overbridge connecting Madakulam and TVS Nagar. But, Mr. Nagendran complains that not many need to go Madakulam from TVS Nagar. “They want to join the Tirupparankundram Main Road. Also, it is very difficult to get down the bridge at Madakulam side due to lack of space,”he says.

R. Venkatasamy, a resident of Alagappan Nagar and former Superintending Engineer of Agricultural Engineering department, says that with the presence of the railway gate at the nearby Alagappan Nagar, vehicles get queued up for a long time when the railway gate closes.

“The frequent closing of railway gates also adds to the congestion at the junction,” he says.

Adding to these problems, share autos pick up and drop passengers at the junction, says V.P. Manikandan, a motorist who uses this stretch regularly.

“During rush hours, it takes around 10 minutes to cross this junction. With the presence of schools on both sides of the junction, students who commute through bicycles are the worst affected,” he says.

A police official present at the junction says that there is a proposal to build concrete dividers from the Palangantham roundabout to Alagappan Nagar railway gate, with an opening at the junction to allow movement of vehicles from TVS Nagar towards Palangantham. “This will help in regulating the movement of vehicles and reducing congestion,” said the official.

Mr. Venkatasamy also suggests that the existing overbridge connecting Madakulam and TVS Nagar can have two wings to ensure easy movement of vehicles. “On one side, the overbridge can have a landing after the railway gate at Alagusundaram Nagar and on other side it can have a landing at Palanganatham roundabout. This will ease the situation,” he adds.

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