COIMBATORE: The underpass routes of Avinashi Road old flyover often witness traffic congestion due to passage of heavy vehicles breaching the height limit. The drivers, without checking the height limit, often go through the underpasses and get stuck halfway, affecting traffic. The absence of height barriers at the underpass entrance is the cause for the chaos.
As per sources, when there is traffic congestion on the Avinashi Road old flyover, two-wheelers and light vehicles pass through the flyover underpass. The flyover has underpasses for vehicles and a railway track in between. Most vehicle drivers only see the height at the entrance.
However, they get stuck at the junction where the height of the underpass drops to 10 feet near the railway track. Hence there is a need for height barriers to prevent these vehicles from entering the underpassage.
“The flyover faces traffic congestion due to the vehicles entering into it without knowing its height. This problem often occurs on the underpass leading from Brooke Bond Road. Therefore, if height barriers are installed in the entrances, heavy vehicles will avoid the underpass and use the flyover. At least four vehicles get stuck under the flyover every week,” said M Shajahan, an auto driver near Kadalaikkara lane.
He added that the height barriers should be designed keeping in mind the lowest height under the railway track (around 10 feet).
The city police also assessed the need for these height barriers and informed the highways department to install them.
As the work delayed, police have planned to take temporary measures. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S Ashok Kumar said “We have planned to install iron rods to prevent vehicles with larger floor heights. This would be set up wherever the issue happens.”