COIMBATORE: The highways department has completed about 70% of the Avinashi Road Elevated Expressway project works in Coimbatore. Officials are set to carry out a dynamic pile load test on the railway overbridge near the Hope college junction next week.
Touted as the longest flyover in Tamil Nadu, the Avinashi Road Elevated Expressway project was officially sanctioned in August 2020 and the works began on December 3, 2020. The project cost is Rs 1,621.30 crore.
The flyover which is 10.01 km long and 17.25m wide starts from Uppilipalayam near the police quarters and ends at the Goldwins near the KMCH Institute of Health Sciences and Research. The four-lane expressway is set to be completed by November 2024.
Of the 305 pillars, the National Highways wing of the State Highways Department has completed constructing around 301 pillars. The remaining pillars need to be constructed near the Nava India junction. As part of the project, the expressway will also have ramps at eight places and four entry and exit points each along the way. The entry and exit points of the flyover will come up at Anna Statue, Nava India, Hope College and near the Airport junction.
Paving the service road below the flyover on the Avinashi Road began last week. However, as the road is being paved without any milling works, motorists and social activists have raised concerns over it. They pointed out that despite the Tamil Nadu government issuing clear instructions, the officials have been paving a major road without milling may adversely affect its durability in the long run.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior highways department official said that currently work on seven out of the eight ramps have started. They have also finished building 214 deck slabs out of 304 decks in the main carriageway and 35 out of the 83 decks on the ramps.
“As the Avinashi Road stretch is located in a low-lying area and rainwater always stagnates on the road, we have been paving new roads without milling the existing ones. Also, we have been constructing stormwater drains on both sides of the service road below the flyover. The road has been tapered towards both sides so that the rainwater recedes in the drains. The new road that is being paved will be 14 cm high and quality will be of the highest standard. So one needn’t worry about the height or quality of the road,” added the officials.
The highways department has also planned to carry out a dynamic pile load test on the pillars constructed near the railway overbridge at the Hopes College junction on Avinashi Road before carrying out any deck slab works to check the strength of the structure.
The testing is set to begin next week, said sources.