Vehicle users bemoan neglect of Karur bypass in Tiruchi

The Karur bypass road from Salai Road junction to Anbil Dharmalaingam statue was once considered as a blessing for motorists travelling towards Srirangam from Thillainagar, Woraiyur and other areas.

The road has been serving the purpose of decongesting traffic in the Chathiram Bus Stand area ever since it was opened for traffic about 15 years ago. Now, the road itself is getting congested due to the high volume of traffic.

Motorists are feeling the heat since, despite being an optimally utilised stretch, maintenance of the road leaves much to be desired. Potholes are getting larger and more in number, testing their patience, and hindering hassle free movement of vehicles.

After the road was opened for traffic, it became the preferred choice for motorists who had till then been using Maris theatre-college road to go to Chathiram Bus Stand.

At present, nearly 80% of Chathiram Bus Stand and Srirangam-bound buses and other vehicles prefer to use the Karur bypass road. Hence, during peak hours, the large volume of vehicles curtail the speed on the stretch. No effective step has been taken so far on preventing traffic snarls on the stretch that was turning into a business corridor, motorists complained.

A number of textile showrooms, restaurants, eateries and furniture showrooms have also sprung up, causing enormous increase in vehicle movement.

“Frequent traffic snarls on Karur bypass road are testing our patience. No attention has been made to repair the road for so long in spite of high volume of traffic,” says S. Venkataraman of Thiruvanaikoil, a regular user of the road. While motorists demand immediate relaying of the road, pedestrians have sought creation of pathways.

Source