Tourists reaching Courtallam during this season via Tirunelveli may enjoy a safe travel as Collector M. Karunakaran has ordered Highways Department to repair the busy thoroughfare without further delay.
The 54-km-long battered stretch, which was never in good shapeeven though a few thousand vehicles were using this highway every day, is in its worst shape now after the active northeast monsoon last year. Consequently, the road witnesses a good number of accidents every day, especially at night, involving two-wheeler riders.
Vehicular movement from Tirunelveli to Courtallam via Tenkasi along this road would increase manyfold during the Courtallam season.
Appeal
Since the season has now started attracting thousands of tourists towards this destination daily, road-users appeal to the officials to complete the repair work at the earliest to ensure safe travel.
Highways officials said that the road could not be relaid as it was going to be converted into a four-lane highway. When pressure mounted on the officials following media reports about the pathetic condition of this stretch, the officials announced that repair works of this road would commence shortly. However, the inexplicable delay in completing the road repair is causing several accidents every day.
“The ongoing repair work, progressing at a snail’s pace, has improved the travel conditions a little bit in specific areas. If the work is completed before June-end, Tirunelveli–Tenkasi stretch will be safe for travel,” says a top government official, who travels from Tenkasi to Tirunelveli every day.
Responding to this serious issue, Dr. Karunakaran said the Tami Nadu Road Sector Project had been entrusted with the work of widening this stretch into a four-lane and acquisition of land for the road widening was about to be completed.
“However, to ensure safe travel of the tourists during the Courtallam season, I’ve instructed the Department of Highways to complete the repair works by filling up potholes as early as possible as the influx of tourists has already started picking up. The stretch up to Rani Anna Government College for Women is in good shape now, I believe. We’ll transform the entire stretch to be safe and fit for happy journey,” Dr. Karunakaran said.
