ARIYALUR: Residents in Ariyalur expressed discontent over the delay in the construction of service roads three years after the completion of the railway overbridge (RoB) near the government hospital here. Commuters and motorists are being affected due to this, rued residents.
In 2016, the state highways department started the construction of a railway overbridge near the government hospital to divert traffic from the railway gate area on the Ariyalur-Perambalur road. The overbridge, constructed at a cost of Rs 45 crore, was thrown open for the public in June 2020.
However, about three years after the work completion, the highway department is yet to construct a service road for the convenience of commuters from areas including Ethiraj Nagar, the railway station, the colony and the Ariyalur regulatory market.
As a result, commuters were forced to take detours. Meanwhile, residents pointed to the poor condition of a subway near the railway overbridge. Garbage pile-ups have made commutation an arduous task, they rue. Despite several petitions, the authorities are yet to take action, the residents say. B Arun, a resident, told TNIE, "The service road was laid to reduce traffic congestion near the bus stand. But due to the lack of service, we are forced to go inside the town to go to areas including the railway station. Due to this, we fail to reach our destinations on time.
Therefore, the district administration should take steps to construct the service road at the earliest." R Sankar, another resident, said, "The subway serves no purpose, as only two-wheelers ply through it. During rains, commutation is onerous as the water gets stagnated. The garbage pile-ups need to be cleared and a blacktopped road needs to be laid." When contacted, an official from the highways department, Thanjavur division, told TNIE, "We are going to acquire land for the construction of service road."