COIMBATORE: Traffic congestion in Annur town has been worsening by the day, causing growing concern among residents and daily commuters, who are now demanding immediate road widening as a permanent solution.
Annur is a crucial transit point connecting Coimbatore to Sathyamangalam in Erode district and Karnataka via Saravanampatti, and also linking Avinashi to Mettupalayam and the Nilgiris. Thousands of vehicles pass through the town every day. However, due to the inadequate width of the existing road, traffic often crawls through the busy stretch, with motorists taking nearly 20 minutes to cross the town limits.
Meanwhile, a major infrastructure project is underway to construct a four-lane road from Avinashi in Tiruppur district to Mettupalayam via Annur, covering a distance of 38 km at an estimated cost of Rs 238 crore. While residents welcome the project, they point out a critical bottleneck within Annur town.
According to locals, a 190-metre stretch from Kaikatti junction in the west to Sathy Road Corner in the east falls under the National Highways Department. This portion of the road is only 23 feet wide. While roads on either side, maintained by the State Highways Department, are being widened to 60 ft, the narrow national highway stretch remains unchanged.
Residents fear that fast-moving vehicles entering the town from wider roads will be forced to slow down abruptly at the narrow section, leading to even worse congestion. They have urged the National Highways Department to widen the 190-metre stretch to at least 40 ft by removing encroachments.
"Only if this stretch is widened will traffic congestion in Annur be resolved permanently," residents said, appealing for swift action from the authorities.
The NH wing of the State Highways Department officials said that they will look into the matter and take necessary action to address the problem.