After an inspection of Madurai MP, Su. Venkatesan, the National Highway Authority of India has taken up temporary restoration of the stretches of road on New Natham Road that was dug up for constructing an elevated corridor.
The MP, who inspected the road work on Saturday, asked the NHAI officials to expedite the restoration to make it motorable and safe for road users.
“I have been receiving a lot of complaints on the safety aspect as the road was full of puddles of water, slush and without any street light,” Mr. Venkatesan said.
The NHAI officials have now cleared the earth dumped on both sides of the road that was dug up for constructing drains and utility ducts. Besides, the loose soil in the middle of the carriage way around the pillars erected for the elevated corridor also made the road risky, especially during rainy days and more so at night.
The soil from the sides has been removed away from the road. Besides, the workers have strengthened the loose soil around the series of pillars. After clearing the mud that had led to a lot of bumps and potholes on the road, the road surface has been dug up for more than a foot and wet mix is being used to provide a smooth surface.
An official said that the unexpected bout of showers in September coupled with north Indian workers taking a long break in connection with Deepavali festival led to the road surface becoming worse.
He added that the NHAI has sought fresh electricity connection from Tangedco to provide temporary lighting. It had also sought the help of the Corporation to restore the old street lights on the road.
“The temporary restoration will be taken up till rainy days, and the road would be laid fully between IOC junction and Armed Reserve quarters by December,” he added.
