TIRUCHI
Close on the heels of carrying out a major eviction drive during which land worth several crores of rupees was recovered after several decades, the Highways Department has begun work on redeveloping the stretch of the Pudukottai Road between the Head Post Office Junction and TVS Tollgate in the city.
In a major eviction operation, the department had demolished several concrete structures that had encroached upon a stretch of Pudukottai Road leading to TVS Tollgate. Some of the encroached structures had survived for several decades. Except for three cases of pending disputes, the encroached lands have been recovered, officials said.
With the stretch facing severe traffic congestion, the recovery of the land would help ease the congestion on the road, officials say. The road was an arterial one in the city leading to Circuit House near TVS Tollgate and also to the airport, they point out.
The department has now begun work on relaying the 1.6-km stretch from Gandhi Statue near Head Post Office to TVS Tollgate. To start with the road stretch is being widened near TVS Tollgate, where substantial portions of land have been recovered. The road is to be redeveloped at a cost of ₹4.6 crore sanctioned under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme. The road would soon be laid end-to-end with pedestrian footpath. Work is also underway on building storm water drains on the evicted area near TVS Tollgate. The drainage would have covered with concrete slabs. “The work will be completed by February,” a senior official of the department said.
