TIRUCHY: In the wake of Musiri Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) P Aaramudhu Devasena's death in a road accident near Jeeyapuram last week, the Tiruchy district road user welfare committee has suggested to NHAI to consider widening the Rani Mangammal Road to decongest the Tiruchy-Karur highway as it said widening the latter poses practical challenges, with Cauvery river running along it on the one side and a railway track on the other.
The association has said that the Rani Mangammal Road could be developed as a four-lane stretch. It branches off from the Tiruchy-Dindigul road and passes through Karumandapam and Allithurai before rejoining the Tiruchy-Karur National Highway near Manavasi in Karur district. P Ayyarappan, coordinator of the road user welfare committee, said any alternative measures that would help ease traffic congestion and reduce accidents should be seriously considered.
"Upgrading Rani Mangammal Road would help decongest the Tiruchy-Karur highway and significantly contribute to the development of Srirangam, Kulithalai, and Krishnarayapuram assembly constituencies," he added.
Ayilai Sivasuriyan, district secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, said "We have been urging both the state government and the Tiruchy district administration to implement the plan. In this regard, elected representatives have also been repeatedly stressing the urgent need to widen the two-lane stretch of the Tiruchy-Karur highway from Kambarasampettai to Pettavaithalai, where frequent accidents occur. In a recent review meeting, the district collector also mentioned that the National Highways Authority of India is preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for developing a green corridor between Tiruchy and Karur," he added.
Kulithalai MLA R Manickam submitted a representation to the state highways department, highlighting the feasibility of widening the road due to minimal land acquisition requirements. "The stretch is already between 100ft to 200ft wide," he told TNIE. Officials from the highways department acknowledged the demand for widening the road. "We have to inspect the stretch to check if it is possible to widen the stretch," said an official.