National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has awarded the tender for relaying a badly damaged stretch of about 1.40 km between Andhanallur and Thindukarai on Tiruchi-Karur Highway, addressing a long-felt concern of motorists.
Residents in the city suburbs and motorists have been sore over the condition of the road and another short stretch on Tiruchi-Dindigul Highway on the outskirts of the city being left uncared for the past few years. Even though both highways have been strengthened and widened by NHAI and the city stretch by the State Highways, the short stretches have not been relaid as the proposed bypass road connecting Tiruchi-Madurai and Tiruchi-Karur national highways is to run across them. However, the stretches have remained unattended for years together as there has been a prolonged delay in building the bypass road.
Expressing concern over the condition of the two short stretches, P. Ayyarappan, a road safety activist, points out that motorists travelling at high speed on the highways are often caught off-guard by the bad condition of the stretches.
“The short stretch of highway on Karur Road is full of potholes and motorists suffer severe jolts. The bad condition of the stretches pose a severe threat to road users and could lead to accidents,” he said.
Similarly, the stretch on Dindigul Highway, near CARE College, has also been badly eroded and lies in neglect.
When contacted, a senior NHAI official said the tender for relaying the Andhanallur-Thindukarai stretch on Karur Highway at an estimated cost of ₹90 lakh was awarded on Saturday. “The work will begin in the next few days and completed within the next 10 days.”
The Dindigul Highway stretch had been handed over to the State Highways (NH wing) and NHAI has already sanctioned ₹1.09 crore for relaying it. The State Highways would soon call for tender to execute the work. “We are closing following the backlog works in and around Tiruchi,” the official added.
