Coimbatore: Traffic signal replaced with roundabout on Lawly Road

COIMBATORE: As part of efforts to reduce traffic snarls, traffic police have redesigned the Lawly Road junction, one of the busiest areas in the city, as a signal-free junction. The lane system has been tweaked and a roundabout has replaced the traffic signal at the intersection of Maruthamalai Road and Thadagam Road. This is the second location, after Sindhamani Junction on Mettupalayam road, where signal lights have been switched off.

“Lawly road junction witnesses heavy traffic congestion during peak hours in the morning and the evening as it is the gateway to the Maruthamalai road. Vehicles passing on the way have to wait for a kilometre during the peak hours, to cross the signal.

To avoid this, we made it a signal-free junction with some diversions. As the junction is like a roundabout, no one has to wait for the signal. If they travel at the junction at the minimum speed limit (20kmph) everybody can cross the junction without any issues. We plan to implement it in a few more major junctions,” said a senior police officer who worked in the redesigning.

The officer added, with the support of the Highways department they conducted a study at the junction before the modification. “The stretch between Uzhavar Sandhai to Lawly road junction around 400 metres has been made one-way.

The vehicles heading from Cowley brown road will be diverted to Guru Gobind Singh road and reach Thadagam road through Periyasamy road. From then, they can reach the roundabout,” the officer added. Temporarily police have used sand bags to form a roundabout. A permanent structure will be built if the experiment proves successful.