A ‘model’ road in the making

Tiruchi Corporation has decided to upgrade the 1.5 km-long Karur Bypass Road from Salai Road Junction (Kohinoor theatre) to Tiruchi-Karur Highway junction at an investment of ₹8 crore.

It will be the highest allocation for developing a short stretch of a city road in the history of the Corporation. The move is part of the civic body’s attempts to upgrade the quality of the roads in the city.

According to sources, the proposed allocation is nearly six times higher than the amount being spent for developing a km of road.

Corporation Commissioner N. Ravichandran told The Hindu that the road would be transformed as a model stretch in the city. The entire 1.5-km road with a width of 90 feet would have walkways on both sides and a median at the centre. An underground duct would be the hallmark of the road, thereby providing an option to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) and other agencies to carry wires and cables through the duct.

Mr. Ravichandran said a detailed project report (DPR) had been sent to the State government, seeking administrative sanction, which was expected any time. The Corporation had already received the amount from the State government under Infrastructure Gap Filling Fund.

He said there were a few encroachments on the road. However, most of them were temporary. The encroachers would be sent notices shortly to remove them. If needed, the civic body would step in. Similarly, a formal request had been sent to Tangedco in Tiruchi to relocate electric poles and transformers, along with overhead cables, to start the project on the road.

Source