COIMBATORE: Following the repeated complaints over the absence of a height barrier in front of the underpasses at Avinashi Road Old flyover, which leads to the frequent obstruction of tall vehicles, the Coimbatore city police installed a makeshift height barrier. A board has also been placed with details of low-height vehicles which can be accessed through the underpass without a hurdle.
Lack of height barriers in front of the underpasses is a major issue in Coimbatore city as these locations often face traffic jams when tall vehicles access the underpasses without knowing the height limit. Except for a few places, most of the underpass entries have this issue.
Especially the Avinashi Road old flyover underpass on Brooke Band road faces this issue quite often as it is a narrow passage for one-way traffic. If any tall vehicle gets caught in it, the traffic on the entire stretch will be affected. Drivers are unable to check the height restrictions before entering these underpasses. This not only causes delays but also disrupts the overall flow of traffic at the flyover, which is a significant junction. A report was published in the TNIE on December 10.
However, the diffusion of responsibility between the police and the highways department delays the process. Police claimed they already installed a height barrier sponsored a year ago, but it was knocked down by vehicles.
According to them, the highways department should have installed a strong barrier. The highways department, however, neglects this issue, claiming it will not come under their purview. Finally, the police department came forward to install a makeshift height barrier, said sources.
The barrier allows only vehicles, cars, autorickshaws, and bikes to pass.