COIMBATORE: Traffic congestion on Palakkad Road is worsening day by day as the expansion work of the railway underpass at Madukkarai-Marappalam has been delayed for over a year. Officials admit that even the tender process for road works is not complete and it may take at least two more years to finish.
The bottleneck at the Marappalam underpass on the Coimbatore-Palakkad main road — a key link between Coimbatore and Kerala — remains a critical issue for interstate commuters. While the Palakkad Railway Division has completed nearly 50% of the railway portion, the state highways department's road expansion has faced setbacks due to land acquisition and the tender process.
The project, which began in May 2025, aims to replace the narrow British-era structure with a modern facility. It involves dismantling the old bridge and installing a new rectangular precast RCC box to hold the railway track and widening the road for about 750 metres, including 89 metres within the underpass. The plan includes a four-lane main carriageway of 16.2 metres, 5.5 metre service roads on both sides, 1.5 metre footpaths and drainage.
Officials said the tender for road works was called off and scrutiny of 14 bidders is under way. Eligibility and projects executed in the last three years are being verified. "Tender evaluation can be completed within 90 days, but we will complete it within a month. Once allotted, work will begin and it will take around 18 months to complete," said a senior official.
Simultaneously, the department plans to acquire 4,300 square metres of land around the underpass for service roads and drainage. Notification under Section 15(2) of the Tamil Nadu Highways Act will be issued after negotiation with landowners, the official added.
Due to ongoing work, light vehicles and buses are diverted from Madukkarai junction via Quarry Office Road, Kurumbapalayam Road and Madukkarai Market Road to Chettipalayam, while heavy vehicles are advised to take the Athupalam-Kurichi-Eachanari route to reach the Salem-Kochi highway. The diversions have led to severe peak-hour snarls, with Kerala-bound vehicles waiting in long queues.
Social activists have urged the administration to expedite coordination between railways and highways. "There seems to be no work under way now. The delay is troubling commuters. Officials should fix the traffic issue and speed up work at Marappalam," said M Abdul Hakkim, Secretary, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
Even on week days, the alternative route allocated for traffic faces severe traffic snarls during the peak hours. On Monday we had to wait for one hour to cross the Madukkarai Market as the alternative route is not enough to handle the entire traffic. The number of people traveling between Kerala and Coimbatore are high and they all face this trouble. Considering the issues, the authorities will speed up the work and find a spacious route for traffic diversion, Hakkim said.