DHARMAPURI: To curb rising traffic issues within municipal limits, local residents have urged the Dharmapuri municipality to construct a bridge connecting the district collectorate and Ramakkal Lake in Hale Dharmapuri.
The municipality has proposed a plan to integrate 10 panchayats into the municipal limit. However, local residents have voiced the need for a 3.5-km-long overbridge on the Dharmapuri-Salem road connecting Dharmapuri Collectorate and Hale Dharmapuri before the municipality plans an expansion.
Speaking to TNIE, G Murali from Pidamineri said, "The Dharmapuri municipality is filled with narrow roads causing massive traffic jams, while the police and municipality have designated various traffic stops and barricades to reduce accidents, but little result has been achieved. Most businesses located within the municipality do not have parking, and vehicles are parked on roads. Moreover, heavy vehicles also pass through the municipality and park outside businesses regularly, increasing traffic woes. An alternative would be to construct an overbridge that would connect DMCH and Ramakkal Lake. People wanting to exit municipal limits can bypass traffic, and this would also be beneficial for the municipality's development."
Another resident, D Krishnan from Bharathipura, said, "In the morning and evening rush, most people pass through the municipal area to reach other rural areas like Palacode, Pappireddipatti, and Harur. A bridge could let them bypass traffic and even reduce congestion. Therefore, the initiative must be considered."
Dharmapuri MLA, SP Venkateswaran, in a petition, said, "Due to traffic constraints, ambulances transporting emergency patients, office-goers, and school students are often affected. A bridge connecting the collectorate and Ramakkal lake would ease traffic and improve connectivity."
When TNIE reached out to officials in the municipality, they said, "Currently, there are no such schemes in the pipeline, but the matter would be considered."