COIMBATORE: The Ukkadam - Selvapuram bypass road which is being used by motorists as an alternative route to reach Siruvani Road, Palakkad Road and Pollachi Road was choked due to its bad shape on Sunday.
For around two hours between 11 am and 1 pm, the place near the retail fish market on the bypass road witnessed traffic jams as vehicles struggled to cross the pothole-ridden stretch. Until last month, all buses from Palakkad Road and Pollachi Road were diverted on this road. Even now, due to the flyover work at Athupalam, buses mostly use this route to reach Ukkadam via Sundakkamuthur Road.
Apart from this, a large number of people use this road to easily reach the city outskirts. Because of the huge traffic and heavy rains, the road deteriorated in the past two days. “There was a big, wide pothole where rainwater stagnated, making it difficult for bikers to cross the road. Even four-wheelers struggled to pass the 2 km stretch. Motorists who thought they could easily reach the suburbs via the bypass road had to wait for a long time,” said M Manickam, a vendor at Ukkadam retail fish market.
Meanwhile, many people shared their experiences on the road on social media seeking the attention of the concerned authorities. On being alerted, a team of police officers from Coimbatore city traffic rushed to the spot and made an effort to clear the traffic by temporarily repairing the road.
M Rajarajan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Coimbatore city, said, “We called an earth mover to the spot and filled the pothole with construction debris available on the roadside. The work took around 30 minutes and we allowed the traffic amid the work. As many people visited the city for festive purchases, vehicles lined up for long distances due to traffic congestion. We have informed the highways department to do at least the patchwork to manage the situation until the rainy season.”
