A consultation meeting on the current status of flyovers being built in Coimbatore was held yesterday. The meeting was chaired by Rajesh Lund, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India. Members of the industry expressed various views.
In it, State Highways Department Divisional Engineer (Road Safety) Manu Neethi spoke as follows:
A project report has been prepared to extend the Coimbatore-Avinashi Road flyover to Nilambur. There is a proposal to design it in a ‘double decker’ manner so that vehicles including buses and cars can pass below and the ‘metro rail’ can pass above. The cost of land acquisition will be reduced.
The construction of a flyover at the Lali Road junction was planned in 2018. On one side is the land belonging to the Agriculture Department and on the other side is the Forest Department. It is difficult to acquire land belonging to government departments for another department.
Lands were measured and notices were distributed. Nothing happened even after years.
The National Highways Department has been saying for two years that it will widen the Uppilipalayam roundabout; funds have not been allocated this year either. ‘If funds are not allocated by July, let the State Highways Department’s Special Projects Division do it; just give NOC,’ the Collector advised in the Road Safety Committee meeting.
Currently, the National Highways Department has sent a project report asking for Rs 20 crore to widen the roundabout on all four sides. It is pending as some questions have been asked.
We have given a project report to widen it at Rs 50 lakh; it can be constructed in three or four months; 80 percent of the problems will be resolved.
The Collector has given a letter and said that if the Highways Secretary orders it, the State Highways Department can implement it.
We are planning to remove all the signals in Coimbatore; So far, 30 signals have been removed. If the government-owned land is used properly without acquiring land, many problems can be solved. Flyovers alone are not the solution. Thus, he spoke.
Natarajan, Vice President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, proposed a vote of thanks.
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