COIMBATORE: The National Highways wing of the State Highways Department has submitted a proposal to the Union government seeking funds to widen a small stretch of Mettupalayam Road into six lanes and establish a roundabout near Sanganoor Bridge-Kannappa Nagar junction.
The Nagapattinam-Coimbatore-Gundlupet National Highway (NH 181) which is popularly called the Mettupalayam (MTP) Road, runs through Coimbatore for over 40 km and is one of the busiest roads in the city.
The junction where the Sanganoor Road and MTP Road intersect near the Sanganoor Bridge has high traffic congestion. Given this, the highways department along with the police department, road safety committee, and others took temporary measures of implementing a U-turn system near the junction in front of Tamil Nadu SETC depot.
However, later the National Highways Department along with the State Highways Department planned to widen the 200-metre stretch from the SETC depot to Sanganoor Bridge.
A senior official from the department told TNIE, “The four-lane road is set to be widened into six lanes by removing encroachments on both sides. Also, a roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of the Sanganoor and MTP Road to make the place signal-free.
A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared and has been sent to the Centre seeking Rs 20 crore funds for the project. Once, the funds are allotted, we will begin the work.”
Sources said, “The officials are also checking the feasibility to widen the old Sanganoor Bridge. The NH departments have also demanded funds for the same. If the Centre does not sanction funds for the bridge widening works, the state government would take up the project.”