COIMBATORE: A joint committee comprising officials from district administration, state highways department, city police, RTO and TNSTC has suggested setting up pedestrian crossing in at least 18 spots on Avinashi road where the elevated expressway project is under construction. Also, the committee proposed foot-over bridges at four places on the road.
On February 23, collector Kranthi Kumar Pati directed stakeholder departments to form a committee and finalize locations of the pedestrian subway/ foot over bridges and opening in centre-median on Avinashi road. On Friday the committee inspected the road and submitted its report.
“The committee suggested to the district administration to set up a road median at 18 places on the 10.1 km stretch. Also, it suggested foot over bridges at Lakshmi Mill junction, Hope College junction, Airport junction and in the Peelamedu junction,” said a police officer. The median openings will be made as early as possible, he added.
The four-lane Avinashi Road Elevated expressway project, which is being built at Rs 1,621 crore is likely to be completed in August 2024. The project was sanctioned in August 2020 and work began on December 3, 2020. The flyover starts from Uppilipalayam and ends at the Goldwins.
“Almost 40 % of flyover work is over. Of the 305 pillars, 286 were constructed and around 80 deck slabs were laid. The project comprised the construction of eight ramps and work had started for four. As part of the project, the expressway will also have four entry and exit points at Anna Statue, Nava India, Hope College and near the Airport junction,” a highways department official said.
As per sources, the state highways department’s special project wing has taken up such a project for the first time in the district and they have been using launching technology in this project. Usually, traffic will be blocked while placing the slabs on the pillars. But here, they have a yard at Thennampalayam where workers are casting slabs and those are being placed on top of the pillars without disturbing traffic.