PWD Minister’s assurance on new road along Uyyakondan brings relief to residents

Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna’s assurance in the Assembly on executing the new road proposed along the Uyyakondan river banks in Tiruchi has brought a sigh of relief for residents whose daily commute has turned into a harrowing experience because of the worsening traffic congestion on the narrow Vayalur Road.

Uncertainty prevailed over the plan to build the new road proposed between the MGR Statue Junction and Sunnambukaranpatti, along the banks of the Uyyakondan, following the change of government in the State earlier this year.

The road was conceived a few years ago during the previous DMK regime as an alternative to the heavily congested Vayalur Road. The road was expected to serve as an alternative route to the Tiruchi-Kuzhumani-Jeeyapuram Road, a major district road (MDR-461), as well as the Allithurai-Thogamalai Road (MDR-12). It would link the city with the inner link road, being developed along the Koraiyar and Kudamuritti river banks by the Tiruchi Corporation, and the semi-ring road to be developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), connecting the major national highways around the city.

Although the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the road was drawn up by the Projects Wing of the Department of Highways initially, it was decided later that the road would be developed by the Water Resources Department (WRD) which has jurisdiction over the bunds along the river. The WRD had been awaiting administrative sanction for the project when the change of government took place and doubts had been raised over the fate of the project here.

The Minister, in response to a query raised by Tiruchi West MLA K.N. Nehru on Monday had said that the project would be executed.

N. Rajendran of Vayalur, who had expressed apprehensions over the fate of the project then, welcomed the announcement by the Minister in the State Assembly. However, Mr. Rajendran said it was essential that the road was built with service lanes alongside for access to residential colonies to prevent internal traffic from joining the new road. “Otherwise, the new road would become congested. Commercial development too should not be allowed along the new road unless they have provisions for service lanes,” Mr. Rajendran said.

Local residents had been anxious to see the project executed expeditiously to decongest the Vayalur Road. “The traffic congestion is turning from bad to worse on the Vayalur Road. The new road is badly needed to give an alternative route. The proposal should be executed at the earliest,” said V. Sundararaju, social activist and resident of Srinivasa Nagar.

The new two-lane road, with a width of 7.5 metres, was proposed to developed at total cost of ₹186 crore, including about ₹65 crore earmarked for land acquisition. About 40,000 sq. m. of lands would have to be acquired for the project.

An elevated structure was planned across the Puthur Weir and aqueduct, the confluence point of the Uyyakondan, the Koraiyar, and the Kudamuritti rivers, along with a high-level rotary connecting the new link road being built by the Tiruchi Corporation along the Koraiyar bund from Panjapur (near the Integrated Bus Stand) to the Karur Highway. However, WRD sources said the final shape of the project would emerge after details of the financial allocation were available.