Much to the relief of Tiruverambur residents, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is on course to construct an underpass beneath the road over-bridge at a close distance from the entrance to the railway station, as part of the Tiruchi-Thanjavur four-lane project.
According to official sources, the underpass will have a breadth of seven metres and height of 3.5 metres for two-way movement of pedestrians, two-wheelers and four wheelers.
Such an arrangement is an imperative in the area teeming with commercial establishments. Also, the Government Industrial Training Institute and the Mukkalathor Higher Secondary School are located on opposite sides, locals say.
Motorists proceeding from the city towards the Navalpattu road will be able to take a ‘u' turn towards left and go through the underpass once it is ready, without causing hindrance to the flow of traffic on the ever-busy highway. The point where the Navalpattu road branches off from the National Highway has always been nightmare for traffic cops. Not a day passes without traffic jams due to the congestion at this particular point.
The location of the bus stand right on one half of the main road is also a vital cause for traffic congestion. While the NHAI is learnt to have compensated the town panchayat for the bus shelter, neither the public nor the town panchayat authorities are clear about where the bus stand will be shifted. Without a satellite bus stand, maintaining orderly movements of people and traffic would continue to be a tough task, local traders reckon.
The NHAI officials have reportedly assured the Tiruverambur MLA S.Senthilkumar that the works on construction of a new overbridge parallel to the existing one will be expedited.
The new overbridge will be constructed with provision for the underpass, and subsequently the existing overbridge will be closed for traffic till the work on the underpass gets completed.
The trading community has reportedly been cautioned by NHAI against putting up structures near the spots earmarked for entrance and exit points of the underpass.
The NHAI has started off with laying the pile foundation for the new overbridge.
While welcoming the construction of the underpass, Balasundaram, a resident of the town, says it may not serve the interests of pedestrians.
“A foot-over bridge has to be constructed at the central part of the town for the convenience of pedestrians, particularly for the aged and the student community,” he said, explaining that Tiruverambur town is always crowded since it is the closest town to peripheral areas within the radius of more than 10 kilometres.
With Tiruverambur getting annexed to the city limits in only a matter of months, the onus will be on the Corporation authorities to prevail upon the NHAI to put up a foot over bridge, said Raja, a trader in the town.
