COIMBATORE: The long-pending demand to improve road connectivity to the Coimbatore International Airport has received a major push, with the state highways department planning to extend the proposed Neelikonampalayam railway overbridge (ROB) up to the airport. The move is aimed at easing traffic congestion on Trichy Road.
Residents, daily commuters, social activists and members of the district road safety committee have been urging the authorities to extend the Neelikonampalayam ROB beyond the railway level crossing to provide a seamless link to the airport. At present, motorists travelling from Trichy Road face frequent traffic bottlenecks, particularly during peak hours and when trains pass through the busy Neelikonampalayam railway gate.
The state highways department has already planned to construct an ROB at the Neelikonampalayam railway level crossing (LC-5), in addition to the ROBs at SIHS Colony and Thanneerpandal Road. While the SIHS Colony ROB, after years of delay, was recently opened to the public by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin during his visit to Coimbatore, the long-stalled Thanneerpandal ROB has also seen renewed momentum with construction. In this backdrop, locals have intensified their demand for the Neelikonampalayam ROB to be taken up at the earliest and extended up to the airport to reduce travel time for passengers and airport-bound vehicles.
K Kathirmathiyon, member of the District Road Safety Committee and secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said that the issue was recently discussed with highways officials. "We urged them to consider a four-lane flyover instead of the usual two-lane structure, keeping future traffic in mind. Extending the flyover up to Coimbatore airport was also discussed. I plan to submit a formal representation during the upcoming road safety committee meeting," he added.
A senior state highways department official confirmed to TNIE that the proposal was actively being examined. "During his visit to Coimbatore, the chief engineer instructed officials to study the feasibility of extending the flyover up to the airport. Land acquisition works in phase one have been completed, and phase two is currently under way. While the earlier plan was for a 1-km bridge, it has now been revised to a 2-km flyover," the official said.
According to the revised plan, the flyover will begin near Vasantha Mill Road and terminate near Brindavan Nagar. However, the official clarified that a four-lane structure is not feasible and that only a two-lane ROB will be constructed. "A detailed proposal has been submitted to the state government, which has granted administrative sanction for the project at an estimated cost of Rs 73.09 crore. Works will commence once the required funds are released," he said.