By Y. Antony Selvaraj
Madurai: Even in normal cities in Tamil Nadu, by-pass roads have been completely constructed and traffic is being regulated so that out-of-town goods vehicles and buses do not enter the city roads. However, Madurai, which is a major tourist and commercial city of Tamil Nadu, has not yet been fully equipped with peripheral roads and an integrated inner ring road.
Although there are ring roads and by-pass roads to prevent vehicles from other districts of Tamil Nadu from entering the Madurai city area, vehicles from the northern and western parts of Madurai such as Paravai, Samaya Nallur, Vilangudi, Arapalayam, Cholavanthan to Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram, Sivagangai and Thoothukudi districts still enter the city area. They come and go.
Similarly, vehicles traveling from Ramanathapuram, Rameswaram, Sivagangai and Thoothukudi to the west side of Madurai pass through the eastern part of Madurai and go to Kala Vasal, Paravai, Samayanallur, Cholavanthan and Vilangudi in the city area. The Vaigai River is the center of Madurai city and divides the city into north and south. Anna Nagar PDR flyover, Kuruvikaran road flyover, Sellur flyover, Yanikall bridge, AV flyover, Obulapatithurai flyover, Arapalayam flyover have been constructed across the river Vaigai to connect the two areas.
People are going to both areas through these bridges. But due to the lack of road connecting these flyovers and city roads on both sides of the river, the traffic congestion in the city is increasing day by day. Therefore, the traffic congestion on Madurai city roads has become permanent throughout the day, not just ‘peak hours’.
Especially during school and office hours in the morning and evening, vehicles are stuck on city roads for several kilometers. So, people, employees, school and college students are suffering from not being able to go to their places on time. Motorists have been waiting for more than 15 minutes at traffic signals. So, 15 years ago when Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister, a four-lane road was planned on both sides of the Vaigai River. However, due to insufficient financial resources, this project was not implemented.
In the last AIADMK regime, in order to reduce the traffic congestion in the Madurai metropolitan area and to prevent out-of-town vehicles from entering the city area, the municipal corporation and the highway jointly started the project of constructing a four-lane road on both banks of the Vaigai river under the ‘Smart City’ project. The Highways Department and the Corporation have jointly constructed 8 km on the north bank of the Waikai river and 8 km on the south bank so that the vehicles coming from the north and west can go to the east side instead of entering the city. The construction of a grand four-lane road on the river has begun at a cost of Rs 384 crore from Vlangudi to Virakanur.
However, even after more than 3 years, these roads have not been fully constructed till now. The Vaigai Karai roads laid by the Corporation before being fully operational, have become damaged and dilapidated. Also, the Corporation has narrowed this road into a 50 feet four-lane road in some places and two-lane roads in many places due to the fact that the corporation has not cleared the encroachments properly. This action of the Corporation saved the private occupiers on the banks of the Vaigai. Near Vaigai Vadakarai Sellur Bridge, from Kuruvikaran Road Bridge to Annanagar PDR Bridge, from Vandiyur to Viraganoor ‘Ring’ Road, no road has been laid in this project till now.
Therefore, this Vaigai Vadakarai Road is not connected to Virakanur Road as planned and it stands in a ‘U’ curve like Dhanushkodi Arichal Nodi Road in Vaigai River. People traveling on this road will not be able to go to Virakanur and Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga. On the return road at Vandiyur, there is a plight.
Similarly, the road from Tenkarai Puttu Thopp to Rajamil Bridge and from Rajamil Bridge to Kuruvikaran Road on Vaigai Karai South Bank Road has not yet been laid. Thus, the planned Vaigai Karai road connecting Viraganoor ‘Ring’ road and Samayanallur ‘Ring’ road via Arapalayam has not been completed and is not useful to the people.
Due to the irresponsible actions of local people’s representatives and officials, the government allocated so many crores of funds, the Vaigai Karai road has not been completed till now, so the people are swimming in the traffic jam every day and are suffering a lot. As Madurai is an important tourist city, it is expected that the complete completion of these Vaigai Karai roads will be of great help in the development of the city and the development of tourism.
People expect Chief Minister Stalin, who is visiting Madurai, to hear the details of the Vaigai Karai road and take steps to complete it quickly.