COIMBATORE: The service road beneath the newly opened Saibaba Colony flyover on Mettupalayam Road has irked motorists, residents and hospitals, with ongoing pipeline works and poor road conditions. Its slow development has triggered traffic snarls and raised concerns over ambulance movement.
The situation has worsened as the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) is carrying out underground drainage (UGD) pipeline shifting and installation works along the stretch.
One side of the service road, from Alagesan Road near Murugan Mills, has already been closed to traffic for pipeline works. Work has now been taken up on the other side as well, even as vehicles continue to use the stretch.
The road serves hospitals, commercial establishments and residential areas, making uninterrupted access important.
The situation took a serious turn a few days ago when a truck got stuck in a pit dug for pipeline work that was allegedly not properly closed. "Vehicles were barely able to move, and suddenly the truck got stuck in the pit. Within minutes, the entire stretch was jammed. It was especially worrying because ambulances were also caught in the traffic," said R Vishwanathan, a motorist who witnessed the incident.
According to motorists and hospital sources, a couple of ambulances transporting patients to hospitals were delayed in the congestion. Ambulances leaving hospital premises to attend to patients elsewhere also reportedly struggled to exit.
Hospital authorities and building owners on the stretch have urged authorities to expedite the work, citing the importance of maintaining clear access to healthcare facilities.
A senior official from the NH wing of the State Highways Department told TNIE, "It is the Coimbatore Corporation which has been executing the pipeline shifting and installation works on the service road. They neither obtained permission from the Highways Department nor consulted us before starting the work. We have raised the issue multiple times and brought it to the attention of the SE and CE as well. Because of them, we are facing the wrath of the public," the official said.
Meanwhile, a senior official from the engineering wing of the CCMC told TNIE, "The pipeline installation works have been completed, and we have already laid wet mix on the dug-up surfaces. Once it settles, a layer of BT (bitumen) will be laid, and the road will be restored. The BT works will begin in the next few days," the official said.