Solution eludes traffic woes on Vayalur Road

TIRUCHI The failure of the State Highways Department in solving the traffic congestion abutting the

The failure of the State Highways Department in solving the traffic congestion abutting the residential colonies along Vayalur road in the city has drawn ire among road users.

The four-km stretch from Puthur and Somarasampettai is probably the most congested one in the city. Thousands of people living along both the sides of Vayalur road have been facing the hardship for more than 15 years.

The entire area, beyond Bishop Heber College in Puthur towards Vayalur and Somarasampettai, was a well-known paddy tract until about 35 years ago.

Except for a few buses, the road was mainly used by farmers to transport agricultural goods. With the mushrooming of residential colonies, thanks to rapid urbanisation, the road has become one of the busiest roads in the city.

According to sources, most of the about 65,000 properties, classified in K. Abishekapuram zone of Tiruchi Corporation, are located in the residential colonies such as Kumaran Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, Allithurai Main Road, Srinivasa Nagar, Ammayappa Nagar, M.M. Nagar, Shanmuga Nagar, Ramalinga Nagar and others on Vayalur road.

Most of the residents have cars and two-wheelers. Both sides of entire stretch are dotted with small to large scale shops and commercial complexes.

The existing two-lane road struggles to cope up with thousands of vehicles passing through it. Traffic jams have become the order of any day. The road is extremely busy from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. In the absence of parking space, motorists opt for indiscriminate parking at their will, thereby leading to holding up of traffic frequently.