The National Highways wing of the State Highways Department plans to widen the road from Moor market to Prozone mall in Ganapathi area in Coimbatore city.
The congested Ganapathi area faces traffic snarls frequently and hence, the Highways Department has proposed widening of the road for 3 km wherever land is available. “We have sought ₹22 crore from the Union government to remove the accident spots under this project and it has been approved,” said an official.
There is a separate project to widen the Sathyamangalam road after acquiring land. However, since land acquisition is yet to take off, the Highways Department plans to widen the road wherever land is available.
Coimbatore MP Ganapathi P. Rajkumar said the plan to acquire land and widen the road was “lying in neglect”.. Sathyamangalam road is Coimbatore’s IT corridor and traffic has increased manifold. “There is total chaos there. It (road widening) should have been done long back. I have intervened and asked the officials to expedite the project,” he said.
K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said the Coimbatore Corporation passed a resolution almost four years ago and a Government Order was issued for release of almost ₹38 crore from the LPA fund to acquire land to widen the road.
However, at some point the Corporation decided that it will not acquire land as it was a National Highways road. The project was stalled because of this. The fund was available and land acquisition should be expedited to widen the road, he said.
