COIMBATORE: A key traffic decongestion project at Pullukadu Junction has hit a roadblock as the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) is yet to grant approval for modifications to a section of the Smart City pedestrian pathway, delaying long-awaited junction improvement works.
The proposed project aims to address persistent traffic bottlenecks at Pullukadu Junction, one of the city's busiest intersections connecting Sungam Bypass, Vincent Road, Pullukadu Main Road, the Ukkadam flyover down ramp and adjoining service roads.
Owing to the growing congestion, a joint team comprising city traffic police, CCMC officials and road safety experts recently inspected the junction to identify practical solutions.
The inspection was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) and included G Manuneethi, former Divisional Engineer (Road Safety), State Highways Department, who is currently serving as a consultant to the District Road Safety Committee.
Following a detailed assessment, the team proposed a series of measures aimed at improving traffic flow. These include redesigning the existing roundabout, removing haphazardly parked vehicles around the junction and shifting a small portion of the pedestrian pathway along Vincent Road to create additional road space.
Officials said the proposed alteration to the pedestrian pathway is crucial to the project. Since the pathway was constructed under the Smart City Mission, any modification requires the approval of the CCMC commissioner before work can begin.
Sources said relocating a small section of the pathway would provide nearly 2 metres of additional carriageway, significantly easing vehicle flow through the junction. However, several days after the joint inspection, the proposal remains pending with the civic body, preventing authorities from beginning improvement works.
Officials associated with the project said that if approval from the CCMC continues to be delayed, the matter may be placed before the District Road Safety Committee for a decision. The committee, chaired by the district collector, has the authority to review the proposal and facilitate its implementation in the interest of public safety and traffic management.
"We will get an additional carriageway of around two metres once the pedestrian pathway is shifted. That extra space is expected to make a considerable difference to traffic movement at the junction. If CCMC approval is delayed further, we will place the issue before the District Road Safety Committee," sources said.
Despite TNIE's efforts, CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja couldn't be contacted to comment on the issue.
