COIMBATORE: The newly opened GD Naidu Flyover, stretching 10.1 kilometres between Uppilipalayam and Goldwins in Coimbatore, witnessed severe traffic congestion at both its entry and exit points, leaving commuters frustrated and officials scrambling for solutions.
Within hours of the opening of the elevated corridor on Thursday morning, long queues of vehicles piled up at the Uppilipalayam junction, where the flyover merges with the existing Avinashi Road old flyover, bringing the area to a near standstill during peak hours.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had inaugurated the flyover, Tamil Nadu's longest, with much fanfare, highlighting it as a milestone in improving Coimbatore's connectivity and easing traffic movement along the busy Avinashi Road corridor. But by Thursday evening, the situation on the ground painted a very different picture as traffic congestion became acute and by Friday, the snarls had worsened further.
The bottleneck at Uppilipalayam, where two major flyovers meet, became the most congested stretch in the city. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers to divert vehicles through alternate routes, yet chaos prevailed.
Former Divisional Engineer of the State Highways Department's Road Safety Wing, G Manuneethi, said the congestion could have been avoided if the approved design had been implemented correctly.
Manuneethi, who had earlier inspected the stretch and prepared the original design, revealed that the approved plan featured an oval-shaped roundabout to ensure smoother vehicle movement. However, the final structure was altered to a circular roundabout without approval from the road safety committee.
"All the official designs were prepared after multiple inspections, precise measurements, and careful planning," Manuneethi said. "But the officials deviated from the approved plan at the last minute, leading to confusion and severe traffic congestion. The design needs to be corrected immediately to restore smooth traffic flow."
Responding to the criticism, a senior Highways Department official told TNIE that the decision to modify the roundabout was taken following suggestions from the police department. "The circular roundabout is only a temporary measure. We plan to study the traffic pattern over the next six to seven days and make the necessary design adjustments later," the official said.
He also attributed part of the congestion to public curiosity. "Many people are driving onto the new flyover just for a joyride. It's new and everyone wants to experience Tamil Nadu's longest flyover. The rush will gradually subside in a few days," the official added.
Speaking to TNIE, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S Ashok Kumar denied that the police had rejected the highways department's earlier design. "We didn't ask for any specific change. However, we have decided to close the flyover during night hours temporarily for the next few days to study the flow of vehicles and assess the problem areas. Once we complete the study, necessary changes will be implemented," he said.
He added that the traffic chaos is expected to ease within a week as the motorists' initial excitement fades and the departments fine-tune the traffic management plan.
