Trade and industry sectors in Erode district expect the State Government to fulfil a long-pending demand for conversion of Erode-Karur stretch into a four-lane.
According to Highways Department sources, there has been substantial increase in traffic movement along the stretch that connects Erode with the Central and Southern districts.
Businessmen and tourists from the region bound for Singapore and Malaysia prefer to utilise the Tiruchi International Airport. Reaching there takes about three hours at present. The four-lane will cut down the travel time to two and a half hours, according to a representative of a travel agency.
There has been no response so far from the government to a memorandum submitted by the Federation of All Trade and Industry Association (FATIA) to the State Government for conversion of the stretch into a four-way or two-way with paved shoulders to tap the tourism potential of Arulmigu Magudeshwarar Temple at Kodumudi that receives devotees from all other States as well.