COIMBATORE: Though the traffic congestion is increasing at a staggering rate on the Ukkadam - Aathupalam road, the state highways department has only completed 75% of the flyover it is building in the stretch. As a temporary measure, police are diverting vehicles through the Puttuvikki road to reduce congestion.
Work on the 3.5 km flyover began in 2018 at the cost of Rs 280 crore. While the flyover was initially proposed from Ukkadam to Karumbukadai, the government extended it till Athupalam junction. While the flyover will have a four-lane road, the up and down ramps near the Aathupalam junction will have two lanes.
Motorists and the public are irked by the traffic congestion as the construction is moving at a snail’s pace. Udhayakumar, a motorist from Ukkadam said, “The flyover works have been dragging for several years now. It’s been nearly five years and the highways department has not made any considerable progress. The Ukkadam junction is choked with traffic day by day due to the never-ending flyover works. Even the Trichy Road and Kavundampalayam flyover works which were started after the Ukkadam flyover works have been inaugurated for public use.”
When contacted, a senior State Highways Department official told TNIE that they’ve completed around 75% of the flyover works and the rest will be completed by December. “End of July is the deadline for the project. However, the works will only be fully completed by this December due to several issues. To reduce the traffic congestion and ease the vehicle movement on the Ukkadam - Aathupalam Road, we have diverted the heavy vehicles via the Puttuvikki Road as a temporary measure,” added the official.
CCMC Commissioner M Prathap said, “The highways department has requested us to build a public park on the roundabout near the Ukkadam flyover. We will start its work after the flyover is finished.”