COIMBATORE: The Saibaba Colony flyover project on Mettupalayam Road is facing an unexpected hurdle. It is not traffic snarls or land issues, but recurring water flow on the service road beneath the ongoing construction.
Highways department officials, who have been overseeing the work for over a year, said that persistent leaks have been affecting progress and forcing them to undertake repeated repairs on the stretch. The problem, they noted, has been particularly severe at night, when water often gushes out, making the road unsafe and disrupting the construction process.
"We have been noticing water on the road quite frequently. At times, it looks like it is being released from nearby private buildings, but there has been no concrete action to address it. We end up spending time and resources on fixing the damaged stretch again and again," an official said.
The officials have expressed frustration that the issue remains unresolved despite repeated complaints to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC). "Our concern is that this slows down the work. The project is progressing at a good pace otherwise," said another official.
When contacted, a senior official from the CCMC said the problem was not due to private discharge. Instead, the official pointed to a leak in the Siruvani water supply pipeline that runs along the road. "The pipeline had burst and caused water to overflow onto the road. We have fixed the leak, and the issue should not recur," the official added.
Residents in the area said they hoped the flyover project, which promises to ease traffic congestion on one of the city's busiest roads, would not face further setbacks. With the water leakage now said to be resolved, officials expect construction to move ahead without interruption.
