COIMBATORE: People can breathe a sigh of relief as after years of delay, the State Highways Department is finally set to start the Rail Overbridge (ROB) works at Thanneerpandal junction near Tidel Park in Coimbatore.
The highway officials have sent a revised project cost of Rs 40.7 crore to the state government and are awaiting the Administrative Sanction (AS) for the project.
Considering the huge traffic congestion, the state government decided to construct a flyover or ROB across the railway Level Crossing (LC) Gate no 6 at Thanneerpandal Road in Coimbatore through the state highways department. In view of this, the government released a GO (No 210) on 11-10-2006 and gave an administrative sanction of Rs 2.65 crore.
A total of 18,682 sq ft of land was earmarked for Land Acquisition for the project. Of the 58 landowners, a majority of them gave away their lands for the project. However, about five landowners opposing the LA filed cases in the Madras High Court. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court came down heavily against the land owners and criticised them for preventing a public welfare project. The court went on to dismiss all three writ petitions and a contempt of court petition and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each on the writ petitioners with a direction to pay the amount to the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority on March 2023.
Despite the court’s order and strong rebuke, land owners of a private school and an industry functioning on the Hopes - Thanneerpandal Road once again filed a writ appeal in the court. Due to this, the bridge works stalled once again as the case is yet to be taken up for hearing.
In this situation, the highway officials have decided to go ahead with the project and start the ROB works soon as only a minor portion of the land was necessary for the service road in the project. In view of this, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has planned to shift all the drinking water supply pipelines that have been running underground near the project site. A team of SH officials and CCMC officials led by the CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran inspected the place on Saturday and discussed the works that need to be taken up soon.
M Sivaguru Prabakaran, CCMC Commissioner told TNIE, “There are three drinking water supply pipelines running on the road including the TWAD Board and Suez line. Since one of the lines is a major pipeline, we’ve decided to install new pipelines and disrupt the connection in the old lines as shifting work will be time-consuming and people will be affected without water during summer. Towards the Vilankurichi side, around 250 metres of pipelines need to be replaced at a cost of about Rs 63 lakh. Meanwhile, our CCMC officials will prepare an estimate for the other side in the upcoming days. Once, estimates are prepared, the highways department will provide us with the money for the shifting or replacing works.”
Meanwhile, the State Highways Department officials have requested the state government for an AS for a revised estimate of Rs 40.7 crore which includes the ROB construction, LA, electricity wires, cables and pipeline shifting, service road construction, and other works.
A senior official of the State Highways Department in the Coimbatore Division told TNIE that the case in regards to the LA is being closely monitored and will be arriving for a hearing in the court soon. Meanwhile, we’ve decided to go ahead with the project and start the ROB works soon as only a minor portion of the land is necessary for the service road in the project. The bridge work will be carried out at a cost of Rs 15.5 crore and we have already handed over a sum of Rs 10.5 crore to the revenue department for the LA works. The work is set to begin soon.”