COIMBATORE: The State Highways Department commenced the preliminary works of widening the Siruvani Main Road from Kalampalayam to Madampatti into a four-lane road at an estimated cost of Rs 33.8 crore.
The Siruvani Main Road is one of the major roads that connect Coimbatore with the Siruvani Dam in Kerala, and the Perur Patteeshwarar temple. Hence, thousands of people use this route daily. As the number of vehicles travelling through this route has increased at a staggering rate, accidents have been reported frequently. Given this, the State Highways Department has decided to widen the road for a stretch of 5.2 km starting from Kalampalayam to Madampatti into a four-lane road along with centre medians.
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by the Coimbatore division State Highways Department and was sent to the state government for approval and funds. Given this, the state government gave a nod and sanctioned a fund of Rs 33.8 crore for the project work. With this, the highway officials floated tenders for the work and have started the preliminary works for the project.
A senior official from the Coimbatore SH department told TNIE, “A 7.5-metre wide tar road and a 1.5-metre wide mud road will be constructed on both sides of the Siruvani Road for a stretch of 5.2 km along with a centre median of 1.2 metres. Similarly, the ground-level bridges located on the stretch will also be widened by 14 metres. A study has been conducted on the encroachments and trees along the road from Kalampalayam to Madampatti.”
A total of 105 trees are set to be felled and a total of 109 trees are set to be transplanted. This was finalised after the inspection and approval of the district green committee. For every tree that’s cut, the highways department will be planting 10 tree saplings. Currently, the officials have begun the preliminary works which include transplanting trees and shifting wires, cables, and pipelines running under the road.
Sources added that the four-lane road will be connected with the Western Bypass Project’s phase 1 which ends at Madampatti.
Road works are likely to be started after Pongal and once started the project is expected to be completed in a year’s time.