One-way traffic allowed over Sengipatti vehicular underpass on Thanjavur-Tiruchi National Highway

Traffic on the main carriageway was closed following damage to the facia panels on the approach road; the repairs are expected to be completed fully by February 15

One-way traffic is now being allowed on the carriageway over the vehicular underpass at Sengipatti on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur National Highway | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has opened the main carriageway over the vehicular underpass (VUP) at Sengipatti on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur National Highway for one-way traffic.

The carriageway was opened for one-way traffic (from Thanjavur to Tiruchi) after completion of rectification work on one side of the approach road to the VUP, while repairs to the damaged facia panels on the other side are still underway. The repair work will be fully completed by mid-February, sources in the NHAI told The Hindu.

On June 20, some of the facia panels on the southern side of the flyover near the Sengipatti bus stop collapsed. Following this, traffic was diverted on the service lanes as a precautionary measure.

Subsequently, the NHAI sought the opinion of a three member expert-panel, comprising faculty members of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, and National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Tiruchi. The team, after inspecting the damaged portion, submitted a report with its suggestions on the remedial measures to be taken up. Based on the report, the NHAI had undertaken repairs to the structure.

As the work was underway, severe traffic congestion was witnessed on the service lanes, much to the dismay of motorists.

“We have opened one of the carriageways over the VUP for one-way traffic a few days ago after completing the rectification work on one side where the facia panels had moved out of alignment. The repair work on the damaged facia panels is currently underway on the other side. We expect to complete the work by February 15,” an official said.

As per the current arrangement, the service lane along the VUP on the Thanjavur-Tiruchi section has been closed for traffic to facilitate the rectification work on the facia panels. Traffic on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur section continues to be diverted via the service lane.

The VUP is situated at an important junction for road users of the Tiruchi - Thanjavur National Highway, with roads from Budalur in the north and Gandharvakottai in the south converging at the spot.