COIMBATORE: The protective wall being built to secure the pillars of the Saibaba Colony flyover is narrowing the service road, say motorists.
Motorists and transporters claim that the new "pier protection walls" being built as part of the ongoing flyover construction project at Saibaba Colony on Mettupalayam Road, one of the city's busiest national highways, are drastically narrowing the motorable space.
While the National Highways (NH) wing of the State Highways Department had earlier constructed pier protection walls close to the flyover pillars at Trichy Road, Kavundampalayam, and other locations, the same approach is not being followed in Saibaba Colony. Instead, the protection walls are being built several feet away from the pillars, reducing the width of the service road used by motorists.
Truck drivers who frequently transport vegetables to and from the MGR Wholesale Vegetable Market along this stretch have voiced strong concerns. Many pointed out that the flyover itself appears to be of lower height compared to other city flyovers, raising fears that the roofs of tall vehicles, including trucks and buses, could scrape against the flyover decks once the road is fully paved.
"The flyover already seems quite low. Once the new tar road is laid, the clearance will reduce even further. On top of that, the walls being constructed far away from the pillars are shrinking the road width and motorable space for vehicles," said D Thanga Perumal, a truck driver who operates on the Mettupalayam Road stretch.
However, officials from the State Highways Department have defended the construction design, stating that the walls are being built at a calculated distance to ensure the safety of the flyover. "Pier protection walls are being constructed on both sides of the road along the length of the piers that are constructed above the service road. This is to prevent tall vehicles from scraping the piers or the flyover decks. The flyover has been designed accordingly," a senior highways official told TNIE.
He added that the situation would improve once the flyover becomes operational. "After completion of the work, most vehicles will use the flyover, and only a limited number will travel on the service road below. We will also provide two U-turns near the MGR Wholesale Market and the Mettupalayam Road New bus stand, allowing trucks and buses to turn easily without causing congestion," added the sources.
Despite the assurances, motorists remain sceptical. They fear that once the project is completed and new layers of road are laid, the overall clearance height will decrease, and the reduced width will make manoeuvring large vehicles difficult, further worsening traffic congestion on the already busy Mettupalayam Road.
