TIRUCHI
Work on laying a new bypass road around Manachanallur, to ease traffic congestion in the town on the outskirts of the city, has begun.
The State government had sanctioned the project at an estimated cost of ₹25.15 crore. The bypass road would run for a length of about 2.62 km averting the need for motorists to go via the town. It would begin near the Panguni Vaical (beyond Nochiyam) and join Thuraiyur Road beyond the Manachanallur Taluk Office. The project is scheduled to be completed in 18 months, Highways Department sources said.
The project was announced in the 2012-13 budget session of Assembly. According to sources, the government had then sanctioned ₹14.40 crore to acquire about seven hectares of land spread over Manachanallur, Uluthankudi and Poonampalayam revenue villages for laying the road.
The construction of the by-pass road would come as a relief to motorists traversing on Tiruchi-Thuraiyur Road and residents of Manchanallur, which witnesses frequent traffic snarls on the Local Fund Road. The narrow road has been bursting at its seams due to heavy traffic and encroachments.
Residents of Manachanallur while welcoming the project, have, however, emphasised the need for removing encroachments to ease the traffic flow on the Local Fund Road. Much of the traffic woes of the town would be solved if encroachments were removed on the Local Fund Road and the bus halts were regulated, observed S.Chandrasekaran, a resident.
“Most buses heading towards Thuraiyur Road, stop at the entrance of the Thirupainjeeli Road Junction. The authorities should ensure that they stop only at the designated bus halt in front of the Tangedco Office. Similarly, buses heading towards Tiruchi also halt in front of the road junction. They should halt in front of State of Bank of India branch instead,” Mr.Chandrasekaran said.
“The construction of the bypass will meet a long pending demand of commuters and residents. Even ambulances often get caught in the frequent traffic snarls in Manachanallur. Once the bypass is laid, heavy vehicles and lorries need not enter the town,” said Saravanan Natesan, a regular commuter.
