The Hindu : Front Page : Widening of Avanashi Road set to start

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Wednesday, Jul 04, 2007
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Widening of Avanashi Road set to start

V.S. Palaniappan

— Photo: M. Periasamy

Chaos: Traffic snarl near Hope college on Avanashi Road in Coimbatore.

COIMBATORE: The district administration has moved to ensure coordination among various agencies for widening the 16-km stretch of road from the Avanashi Road flyover to the Neelambur bypass road junction into a six-lane one, at Rs 27.5 crore.

Avanashi Road is the gateway to Coimbatore for vehicles coming from Erode, Salem, Bangalore and Chennai besides those from the hosiery town of Tirupur. The road, leading to the airport, also serves a number of residential colonies on either side besides corporate houses, educational institutions and hospitals. Traffic chaos used to reign on this stretch, especially during peak hours. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, during a visit here in February, announced that the arterial road would be made a six-lane one, taking into account the present traffic volume as well as future growth, especially in a context in which information technology firms were coming up at the proposed IT Park near Coimbatore Medical College. District Collector Neeraj Mittal recently had a coordination meeting with various agencies on the speedy completion of the work. Mr. Mittal told The Hindu that survey and alignment assessment had been completed. A joint inspection would be carried out by agencies such as the City Corporation, the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and private telecom service providers for moving utility fixtures such as telephone cables, water lines, electric poles and transformers to the road boundary. The TNEB was preparing an estimate for shifting its poles and transformers, and the expenditure would be met from the project cost. All preliminary works will be in full swing by July 15.

After the survey, the authorities said there was enough space on either side to provide six lanes and there would be no need to demolish any structures. There will be minimal removal of encroachments, they said.

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