Motorists irked as two flyover projects in Coimbatore going at snail’s pace

Sources also revealed that they have also begun paving 950-metre of new roads on the two alternate routes for vehicles that need a detour from the Periyanaickenpayalam flyover works.

COIMBATORE: The snail pace of the Periyanaickenpalayam & GN Mills flyover construction works on the Mettupalayam Road carried out by the National Highways officials have further pushed the inauguration date of the flyovers to March 2023. Officials begin paving roads on alternate routes to reduce traffic congestion.

The National Highways department sent the proposal to the Union Ministry of Road Transport in 2018 for constructing a flyover at both Junctions on the Mettupalayam Road in Coimbatore in order to ease the traffic congestion after a study identified that more than 50,000 vehicles have been using the stretch every day. The 1,850-metre Periyanaickenpayalam flyover works began on November 2020 at a cost of `115.24 crores. Similarly, the 600-metre GN Mills flyover works were kick-started back in 2019 at the cost of `30 crore. While both flyover works were expected to be completed by this December and thrown open to the public by January 2023, the inauguration has once again been pushed further to March 2023.

Meanwhile, the delay in paving new roads on the detour of the Periyanaickenpalayam flyover has irked motorists and the public. “Day to day, the traffic congestion on the Mettupalayam Road has been increasing and so is the delay in inaugurating the flyovers that are being constructed on the route for ages now,” said S Jaya Ganesh, a motorist from Periyanacikenpalayam.

“With the construction works going on for years, we have to take a detour and the road conditions are very poor. The officials keep extending the completion date at their own will. The district collector or the minister must look into the matter and expedite the works,” he added.

Speaking to TNIE, a senior NH Department official said, “The flyover works were delayed due to various issues including the COVID-19 pandemic and shortage of materials. We have finished constructing all the pillars of both flyovers at GN Mills and Periyanaickenpayalam junctions.”

Sources also revealed that they have also begun paving 950-metre of new roads on the two alternate routes for vehicles that need a detour from the Periyanaickenpayalam flyover works. NH officials have put the wet mix on one road and Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) on the other road. Those works will be completed in a week, added the sources.

“We have finished 31 of the 48 deck slab works at the Periyanaickenpayalam flyover. As far as the GN Mills flyover is concerned, all the pillars and deck slabs are finished and we have started the approach road and ramp works. Construction of both flyovers will be completed by March 2023,” added the NH official.