After months of riding through the pothole-ridden V.P. Rathinasamy Nadar Road, vehicle users now heave a sigh of relief as Madurai Corporation has relaid the stretch.
The entire stretch, which covers over a kilometre, has been relaid, using funds from Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Project (TURIP) for 2018- 2019. A Corporation engineer said that nearly 85% of the works in zone 2 of the Corporation, for which ₹5.25 crore was sanctioned under the TURIP, had been completed.
This arterial stretch is always busy with several vehicles proceeding to P and T Nagar, hospitals, educational institutions, BSNL, Customs, Income Tax and Employees Provident Fund offices.
Besides, several vehicle users going to Iyer Bungalow and beyond now took this stretch to avoid the bumpy New Natham Road to a maximum possible distance, said G. Kannan, a roadside vendor.
Earlier, riding through the stretch was dangerous as it was riddled with potholes and craters, said K. Chinnasami, an autorickshaw driver. “Many vehicle users fell on this stretch. When it rained, stagnant rainwater would cover all potholes and pits, making it all the more difficult for vehicle users to cross this stretch,” he said.
Though vehicle users welcome the move of the Corporation in relaying the road, they raise doubts over the durability of the road. “At many places, the bitumen has already started withering away on the edges. After a few spells of shower, it looks like the road will again become worse,” said A. Murugesan, who commutes through the stretch regularly.
