DHARMAPURI: Residents of Pappireddipatti are extremely distressed by the heavy traffic jam caused by the construction of a four-lane road between A Pallipatti and Manjavad at Manjavad ghat Road.
The union government had taken steps to improve the roads between Vaniyambadi and Salem upgrading the roads to four lane roads. As part of the first phase of the works, Rs 168.67 crores have been allocated to construct the road between A Pallipatti and Manjavadi ghat. As many as 53 minor bridges are being expanded under this project.
With construction underway, traffic has been restricted leading to traffic jams lasting several hours. Residents here blame the traffic on the slow pace of construction.
R Akilan, a driver from Pappireddipatti, told TNIE, “Right now, only one lane is designated for vehicle movement in either direction. However, as this is a key road connecting Dharmapuri and Salem, a large number of heavy vehicles pass by, and due to traffic jams, these vehicles cannot move freely. Recently, a truck laden with heavy payload stopped in the middle of the road and the muddy road made it more difficult for vehicles to move disrupting traffic flow for over an hour.”
A highway official said, “The construction has been going steadily and safely. The traffic problem is due to the ghat area and little can be done about this. Many trucks use this road to bypass the Thoppur toll gate and if these trucks choose alternative routes, traffic jams can be avoided.”
