COIMBATORE: After years of delay, work on the much-awaited Singanallur flyover is expected to begin next month, offering some relief to motorists who regularly face long queues at one of the city's busiest junctions. As the agreement for the project is yet to be prepared, the onset of the work has been pushed to next month.
The proposed 2.4-kilometre flyover will stretch from Uzhavar Sandhai to the Jai Shanthi Theatre junction. The project is estimated to cost Rs 170.82 crore, with Rs 116.77 crore allocated for construction, Rs 15.4 crore for land acquisition, and Rs 44.7 lakh for shifting utilities such as water pipelines, power cables, and communication lines. The project will be taken up by the National Highways wing of the State Highways Department, with the contractor already finalised.
Singanallur junction is a vital junction in the city where the Trichy Road, Kamarajar Road and Vellalore Road intersect. With the district's major bus terminus located close to the junction and the ESI Hospital nearby, the area witnesses heavy vehicle movement throughout the day. Motorists heading towards Avinashi Road from Trichy Road also depend on Kamarajar Road, adding to the pressure at the junction.
A key focus of the project this time is the approach roads. Officials have been advised to avoid repeating problems seen at earlier flyover projects, where inadequate road width near ramps resulted in traffic bottlenecks.
The service roads on both sides of the Singanallur flyover's ramps will be widened to seven metres and will include stormwater drains and pedestrian pathways. A total of 1,475.6 square metres of land is required for the widening, and the revenue department officials have been involved in the Land Acquisition works.
Residents and motorists have pointed to the experience at the Trichy Road flyover, where traffic congestion continues near the entry and exit ramps because of limited road width. Similar problems have emerged near the TNSTC Coimbatore Region Head Office at the Saibaba Colony flyover service road.
The flyover is expected to be completed within two years of commencement. However, civic groups and road users have urged authorities to complete the required land acquisition and traffic arrangements without compromising the project schedule.
Speaking to the TNIE, a senior official from the highways department said, "Although the contractor for executing the project works has been finalised, the agreement for the project is yet to be prepared and signed owing to a few issues in the policy changes. The matter has been taken to the higher authorities' attention and will be resolved soon. Meanwhile, the preliminary works have already begun. The contractor will begin the soil testing and other works in the next few weeks."
