COIMBATORE: The traffic congestion on the Government Hospital (GH) Junction on Trichy road is set to be a thing of the past soon as a U-turn system will replace the traffic signal.
The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) management, the highways department, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and the Coimbatore City traffic police personnel are coordinating to implement the new traffic system.
A lack of cooperation between different departments so far delayed the implementation of the U-turn despite a series of complaints from the public regarding the gridlock.
Due to the presence of the CMCH and a couple of private schools, the GH-Valankulam Road junction on Trichy Road remains busy throughout the day. Vehicles including the ambulance have to wait for a long time at the signals, resulting in heavy traffic congestion.
Vehicles line up all the way to the CMCH bus stop from the junction, blocking the main entrance of the hospital. Even ambulances carrying emergency cases and other patients are unable to enter the hospital during a jam. After the hospital management banned private vehicles, including those of the patients, from entering or parking inside the hospital premises a few weeks ago, people started parking their two-wheelers outside the hospital on Trichy Road, thus worsening the problem.
With traffic congestion on the rise, demands to decongest the road in front of the CMCH grew louder. Even the CMCH management had requested the officials to take necessary steps to clear the traffic congestion in front of the hospital as the entrance was blocked by vehicles waiting for the traffic signal.
Speaking to TNIE, Divisional Engineer of the State Highways Department (Road Safety) G Manuneethi said they are aware of the issue and the matter has been already brought to the district collector's attention.
The collector has approved for removing the traffic signals and implementation the U-turn system at the junction to decongest the road in front of the CMCH, stated Manuneethi.
"The work for implementing the U-turn is delayed as the road belongs to National Highways and the civic body needs to demolish the centre median, remove cables and reinstall them underground. Also, we need police assistance in implementing the system. Once all department officials come together and start working, we shall remove the signal and introduce a U-turn soon," he added.
Two U-turns are set to be provided to decongest the road: one between the Classic Towers and the CMCH and another one between the Classic Towers and the West Club Road.
People proceeding towards the Railway Station or Town from the Coimbatore district court will have to take a left turn at the junction and then make a U-turn to reach their destination. Similarly, motorists proceeding towards the district court from Ramanathapuram can take a U-turn before the CMCH and then take a left to reach their destination.