TIRUCHI
The road overbridge on Salai road suffered damage due to the impact of the heavy rain that lasted the city for more than 90 minutes on Saturday, hindering movement of vehicular traffic.
The damage has surfaced at a time when the Tiruchi Corporation is contemplating the closure of the road for traffic.
A crack has been noticed on a portion of the road closer to the parapet wall. As the crack was a few inches wide, apprehensions arose about the sturdiness of the road for passage of heavy vehicles. Erosion of gravel underneath the top surface of the road through cavities due the impact of heavy rain was stated to be the main reason for the damage.
The damage came to the notice of passers by as dawn set in on Sunday. On information, the workers of the Tiruchi Corporation rushed to the spot and put up barricades along the damaged portion of the road. Vehicles were allowed on the road after barricades were put up.
Though there was no immediate danger to the vehicles that pass on the road, some expressed apprehension over the strength of the road when heavily loaded vehicle pass by.
The road, which is popularly known as Maris theatre road, connects Main guard gate and Chathiram Bus Stand with Thillai Nagar and Woraiyur. It was a highly congested stretch up to the junction where the Karur Bypass Road intersects.
After the formation of the Karur Bypass Road many years ago, the volume of traffic on Salai road came down to a substantial extent as most of the vehicles from Chathiram Bus Stand, Chinthamani, Thiruvanaikoil and Srirangam bound travellers preferred to use the alternative route. Yet, over the years, the traffic has gone up gradually on Salai road due to the exponent growth of vehicles in the city. It has been observed that it has already matched the volume of traffic that the road carried about 20 years ago.
Corporation Commissioner S. Sivasubramanian told The Hindu that there was a need to carry out remedial measures to strengthen the damaged portion of the road. The services of National Institute of Technology (NIT) - Tiruchi would be sought to find out ways and means for strengthening it. Based on its report, the road would be repaired, he said.
