COIMBATORE: The construction of flyover works at Lawley Road junction, which was proposed in 2018, is yet to start due to delay in transfer of land by other departments (land alienation) to the State Highways Department of Coimbatore division.
Considering the high traffic congestion, the officials had proposed a flyover with three designs at the Lawley Road Junction where the Gandhi Park Road, Thadagam Anaikatti Road, Cowley Brown Road, and the Maruthamalai Main Road intersect in 2018.
The Lawley Road junction is a vital link connecting motorists from Gandhipark, RS Puram, Marudhamalai, and Edayarpalayam.
Officials had planned to construct a flyover for about 1 km from the Cowley Brown Road to the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU) Gate Number 4 at an estimated cost of about Rs 110 crore after land acquisition and land transfer works from TNAU, GCT, and Forest College. However, the project remains on paper.
Although officials had changed the traffic pattern and established a roundabout at the junction to temporarily ease vehicle movement, motorists said a flyover should be constructed at the earliest.
Sources said pending land transfer was one of the reasons for the delay in starting the project.
Dr M Sharmila, Coimbatore District Revenue Officer (DRO), told TNIE, “A couple of months ago, the highways department officials, other officials, and I visited the land transfer site. However, later, the highways department officials said that they would submit a revised project report for land transfer.
They informed us that they need to make a few changes in the project’s design, alignment, and land requirement and then submit a revised report on the land schedule package in a month. However, they’re yet to submit the report.” When inquired about it, a senior official from the Coimbatore State Highways Department told TNIE, “We are awaiting Administrative Sanction (AS) for the project from the state government. The bridge portion alone will be 800 metres long with 400 metres on the TNAU stretch and 400 metres on the Cowley Brown Road stretch.
A few alignment changes need to be made in the project to reduce the land acquisition as well as land alienation. As GCT’s quarters, Forest College and TNAU institutions’ lands need to be taken for the project, we are currently revising the designs and alignment slightly so that the impact is minimal.”