TIRUCHY: Oblivious to the danger, motorists, including heavy vehicle drivers, can be seen driving down the wrong side of Odathurai Road near the Oyamari cremation ground as a shortcut to Chennai-Theni highway.
Odathurai Road traffic from the south end of the Cauvery bridge is by default led to Kondayampettai check post. For those motorists not heading that way but who need to go towards southern districts or even Thiruverambur, they have to go to Kondayampettai check post near the Iraniyayi Amman temple and make a U-turn. This would mean a 3-km detour to just head south.
To avoid this, many motorists drive on the wrong side and enter the highway, increasing chances of accidents. Gaps in the dividers on Odathurai Road are used to enter the wrong side. While they change lanes near the junction, many headed towards Cauvery bridge are taken by surprise. NHAI has also planned a bridge near Sanjeevi Nagar to directly lead to the highway. But until the work is done, the public said traffic has to be strictly regulated by police. L Sukkavin a motorist from Kiliyur driving in the wrong direction said, “The check post is too far from here so drivers see it fit to carefully drive along the wrong side of the road and reach the highway.”
But to some persons like K Sandilyan from Lalgudi, it is a risk not worth taking, “The vehicles coming directly towards us take us by surprise. No matter how good a driver, having a vehicle come at you while negotiating a turn is a very difficult situation. Using up a few litres of petrol or a couple of minutes of one’s time is nothing when compared to perhaps getting involved in a fatal accident.” Senior police officials said they would post more personnel on the road.