VELLORE: In order to ease congestion on the Green Circle junction on the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway (NH) in the heart of Vellore, the district administration has decided to reduce the size of the roundabout here. However, road traffic experts say the move will not yield the desired results.
The Green Circle junction serves as a major intersection for vehicles crossing towards Chennai, Tirupathur, Chittoor via Katpadi and into the heart of the Fort City off the NH. Traffic snarls are a common scene at the junction during peak hours as vehicles take a long time to cross the roundabout.
After discussing the issue at different forums, the district administration has decided to reduce the size of the roundabout hoping to ease congestion.
“After due consultations at different forums, it has been decided to reduce the size of the unused traffic island so that the space around it can be widened for 12 metres to lay a new tar road,” said A Shanmuga Sundaram, Vellore district collector.
He added, “This will help vehicles heading to Vellore city from Katpadi and vice versa and from Chennai to Tirupathur to move without difficulty.”
Moreover, the height (1.5 feet) of the storm water drains located along the service road falling under the maintenance of the municipal corporation will be brought down to the level of the road space so that vehicles find more space to move smoothly. The road will have 5 metres of additional space on both sides, the collector noted.
The work will be started on 18 January by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), he said.
Experts sceptical about move
Although the proposal to slash the size of the roundabout at Green Circle has been mooted for long by a section of government authorities, road traffic experts are sceptical about the outcome of the move. They point out that mere reduction of the size of the roundabout will not solve the congestion.
“If the roundabout is reduced, it will lead to more congestion as several vehicles can swarm around the signals. So, it will possibly give rise to more woes,” rued an expert.
Only judicious management of traffic and enforcement of road rules at the junction can help solve the issue, resulting in smooth movement of vehicles, for which the main factor is to remove road obstruction.
“Streamlining movement of vehicles and lanes, disallowing lane jumping and moving the wrong way can be enforced to regulate traffic. Obstructions along the road around the junction can be removed to enhance smooth flow,” he pointed out, saying that the authorities may end up ‘losing the wood for the trees’.