Expressway, short flyovers to decongest Coimbatore city roads

The Coimbatore Corporation is working on various options to decongest the city's main roads. Two major options being considered are expressways and short flyovers. The aim is to not only provide separate facilities for vehicles travelling short and long distances but also to eliminate delay at traffic signals.

In the backdrop of an earlier plan to widen Avanashi Road, the Corporation plans an expressway for vehicles bound for the airport, outskirts such as Kalapati and Chinniampalayam and also to Avanashi, Tirupur and Erode.

Delay at the signals in the city and time constraints leads to speeding and high accident rates on Avanashi Road. But, the Corporation feels that the expressway alone will not be sufficient.

Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran indicates that short flyovers may be built to eliminate delay at signals and the resultant speeding.

If these projects are implemented, Avanashi Road may have a three-tier traffic system - the existing road, the expressway and the short flyovers. For instance, a short flyover (over the expressway or below it) at the Lakshmi Mills Junction may help avoid holding up traffic for long at the signal.

Corporation sources say that the need for short flyovers is felt at the 100 Feet Road-Sathyamangalam Road Junction and at Dr. Nanjappa Road-Cross Cut Road-Bharathiar Road Junction.

With most of the junctions in the core city area becoming congested and witnessing frequent traffic snarls, the Corporation feels that flyovers may be the only way out.

The signal at the Avanashi Road-Headquarters Road Junction, popularly known as JM Signal or Uppilipalayam, is another chaotic traffic point. Traffic crawls towards the flyover at morning and evening. The expressway has been planned from the flyover itself. If built, a large number of long distance vehicles will not choke that point.

The City Development Plan (CDP) of the Corporation lists the following places as those identified for flyovers: Tiruchi Road-Nanjundapuram Road Junction, Singanallur Junction, Lakshmi Mills Junction, Gandhipuram Bus Stand, G.P. Hospital, Sowripalayam Junction, Nirmala College Junction at Sungam, Ukkadam, Thadagam Road-Marudamalai Road Junction and Dr. Nanjappa Road-Avanashi Road Junction.

The CDP has been prepared as part of the infrastructure improvement efforts under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The Corporation continues to study the requirements of the city in terms of traffic management. The Commissioner says elevated highways and flyovers have ensured smooth flow of traffic in countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. The Corporation is open to the idea of more flyovers than the ones planned, if the city requires these.



Source: The Hindu