COIMBATORE: Yet another flooded subway is in the making in Coimbatore city as the level of the service road of the Ukkadam flyover
has gone up considerably after paving works by the state highways department. Waterlogging in the subway is likely during rains as the height of the service road has gone up by 3 to 4 feet as it was not milled before the works.
The service roads were repaved on the Ukkadam-Valankulam Road without milling the existing ones as part of the Ukkadam flyover project. A two-lane subway has been constructed for vehicles proceeding towards Sungam from Ukkadam. As per norms, a subway needs to have a height of 5.5 m for all types of vehicles to pass freely.
But the road was constructed by deepening the surface on one side. However, on the other side, repaving was done without milling the existing one. As a result, the height difference between the two-way road has increased to around 4 ft.
However, the highways department officials cite natural gradient for the height difference and said they wouldn't flatten or even out both roads.
"This will create another flooded subway in our city in addition to the existing subways where rainwater stagnates. Reducing the depth of one side of the road to make way for large trucks and all sorts of vehicles is accepted.
But the same must have been done on the other side of the road. No matter what stormwater drains are built, the subway will get inundated and officials will have to pump out the water. I shall take up the issue in the road safety committee meeting and bring it to the collector's attention," said K Kathirmathiyon, Secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause and member of the Coimbatore Road Safety Panel.
Speaking to TNIE, Divisional Engineer of the State Highways Department (Road Safety) G Manuneethi, said, "Since all the officials in the State Highways Department in Coimbatore were transferred recently, the new officials might have carried out the works based on methods adopted by previous officials. I shall inspect the place and ask the officials to sort out the issue."
Another senior official from the State Highways Department revealed to TNIE that the height difference between the two roads will not be corrected and, instead, a ramp will be constructed in the middle for the vehicles to get on to the other side of the road. Meanwhile, motorists and social activists have urged the officials to pave even roads on both sides as rainwater will flow into the subway due to the height difference during the rainy season.