COIMBATORE: State Highways Department officials have started restoration work on the dilapidated Palakkad Main Road near Kuniyamuthur. The work is being carried out in full swing at night, and all the damaged portions will be completely restored by the end of this month.
The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) has been executing Underground Drainage (UGD) projects in various parts of the city on behalf of the civic body. However, the Kurich-Kuniyamuthur UGD project, which started several years ago, has yet to be completed by the officials.
The Palakkad Main Road which is a major highway road used by thousands has been left in a dilapidated condition for several months as the TWAD board did not complete pipeline installation works. The road turned into an obstacle course for commuters as motorists were unable to traverse through the broken stretch with no proper solution from the officials.
The State Highways Department blamed the TWAD board for its delay in restoring the damaged road, as the latter had not finished installing pipelines for the UGD project. Demands to fix the road as soon as possible grew louder everyday. In this situation, State Highways Department officials finally began road restoration works on the Palakkad Main Road near Kuniyamuthur.
A senior official from the State Highways Department, Coimbatore division told TNIE, “Around one-kilometre stretch of the road starting from Kuniyamuthur Government High School has been completely damaged after the TWAD Board’s UGD pipeline installation work. Based on the Collector’s order, the TWAD board officials expedited the work and completed it. We have begun our road repair works now and the road is expected to be completely restored soon. Meanwhile, the traffic on the road has been diverted to one lane during the night from 10.30 pm to 5 am. Out of the one kilometre, we have so far completed the restoration works of about 300 metres now and the remaining damaged portions will also be fixed by the end of this month.”