COIMBATORE: To ensure
smooth flow of traffic on city roads, the city corporation has proposed
the formation and development of 11 scheme roads in the budget. A
majority of these scheme roads have been long pending with the
corporation waiting for the completion of various technical and
procedural formalities. Some of these, hopefully, will become a priority
for the corporation now.

The corporation has allocated Rs 2
crore for laying 16.8 kms of scheme roads. It is now waiting for
financial assistance amounting to Rs 124 crore from the local planning
authority (LPA) to carry out the work.

In last year’s budget,
the city corporation had identified over 170 scheme roads in the five
zones. Civic officials had then said the scheme road linking Thadagam to
Perur will be developed first and the remaining roads later with LPA
funds. However, there was no action thereafter. The Thadagam-Perur
scheme road features in the 2013-14 budget announcements as well.

“The original number of scheme roads, in the corporation limits, will
be more than 170 but we have identified the roads that need to be
developed to solve traffic problems in the city. Out of these identified
roads, we will first work on the roads that need to be developed
immediately,” said a senior corporation official.

The latest
budget includes the following roads as per the development plan:
Perur-Thadagam Road, Selvapuram Housing Unit Road,
Thadagam-Ponniahrajapuram-Chokkampudur Link Road, extension of
Masakaalipalayam, Singanallur-Vellalore Road and also extending
Kamarajar Road to Neelikonampalayam bus stand. Traffic improvements are
also planned near Avinashi Road-Airport Road junction and Thanneer
Pandal ‘S’ bend extension to facilitate better traffic movement.

“The extension of Kamarajar Road to Neelikonampalayam Road will be of
great help to public as heavy vehicles like buses cannot move on this
stretch near Varadharajapuram. More than 40,000 people will directly
benefit from the scheme,” said K Rajendran, MDMK councillor.

According to C Asokan, a resident of Masakaalipalayam Road, the widening
and extension of the route has been a long standing demand of
residents. A portion of the road, which begins from Avinashi Road near
Hopes College, has more than 50-feet space but due to the presence of
roadside buildings, the road width tapers down making it difficult for
the motorists and pedestrians.

“The road needs to be widened
and streetlights have to be installed at certain portions. They have
installed lights and median wherever there is space, but it is needed in
the entire stretch,” said Kamal Balu, another resident of Masakaalipalayam.

According to R Marappan, ward councillor, the proposal for
Masakaalipalayam Road extension must be taken up at the earliest along
with extending Kamarajar Road. The proposed Singanallur to Vellalore
scheme road along the Singanallur lake will also absorb commuters
proceeding to Vellalore on Trichy Road.

What could delay
corporation’s plan is land acquisition and clearance from various
existing legal tangles. The civic body has to pay more than Rs 14.3
crore for acquiring 9,597 square metre of land to develop a 0.582 km
road with an estimated cost of Rs 65 lakh.