Dindigul By-pass Road craves for better traffic regulation

Dindigul By-pass Road in Madurai faces traffic congestion due to haphazard parking, encroachments, and poor traffic regulation.

With a four-way main carriage way and wider service roads on both sides, Dindigul By-pass Road is the widest road available in Madurai City. However, vehicular traffic on this important road connecting south with west of the city has left much to be desired.

Haphazard parking of vehicles, rampant encroachments by roadside shops on service roads and main carriage way and poor regulation of traffic have contributed equally to one of the busiest corridors of the city.

While a flyover saved traffic congestion on Kalavasal junction and new traffic arrangement has eased the vehicular snarl at Arapalayam junction. However, the free flow of traffic between Kalavasal junction and Palanganatham is obstructed at every opening on the median. Worst is the Ponmeni Main Road - Subramani Pillai Road junction where traffic comes to a standstill during peak hours.

Even deployment of a traffic constable has not helped much as scores of vehicles, especially school buses, vans and autorickshaws vie with one another to enter the narrow Ponmeni Road cutting across the main carriage way and the service road in the mornings and evenings.

“It has been a nightmare to cross any of the openings on this entire stretch. The only solution is to provide a flyover up to Fatima College,” rues K.L. Narayanan, a resident of S.S. Colony.

Another resident, William Jai, fears that the traffic signal posts proposed at this junction by Madurai City Traffic Police will only add to traffic snarl, air pollution and noise pollution. An autorickshaw driver says that the signal posts were installed four months back.

“We are for an elongated roundabout like what has been done at Arapalayam junction,” says K. Anandaraj.