Road users have urged the Coimbatore Corporation to expedite the removal of encroachments along Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road near Nava India Junction to facilitate the widening of the road and ease persistent traffic congestion.
The Coimbatore Corporation is yet to take up the widening of the 500-metre stretch of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Road, between the 100-Feet Road flyover and Avinashi Road at Nava India Junction, as encroachments along the Sanganoor Canal remain to be cleared.
B. Bala, a commuter who uses the 100-Feet Road flyover daily, said motorists travelling towards Nava India are forced to wait for long periods during peak evening hours. He said heavy vehicles operated by private transport companies make U-turns on the stretch, resulting in long queues that often extend onto the flyover.
K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause and member of the District Road Safety Committee, said the 1.7-km flyover on 100-Feet Road serves as a key link between Gandhipuram and Avinashi Road, allowing motorists to bypass two major junctions. However, traffic slows considerably after the flyover due to the narrow carriageway.
As part of the Avinashi Road flyover project, funds were sanctioned to lay underground power cables and remove the overhead electricity infrastructure. The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, in coordination with the State Highways Department, completed the ₹15-crore underground cabling project from the end of the flyover to the Peelamedu substation over a year ago.
The issue was once again raised at a recent meeting of the District Road Safety Committee, chaired by the Collector, with the Corporation being urged to remove the remaining encroachments, including slum dwellings, after making suitable rehabilitation arrangements for the residents.
Mr. Kathirmathiyon said the Corporation had informed the District Road Safety Committee that the encroachments would be removed after the underground cabling work was completed. However, the encroachments remain and the road widening is yet to begin, he said. “The purpose of laying underground cables is defeated if the encroachments are not removed and the road is not widened,” he said.
According to sources, the road widening project has remained pending as many of the encroachers sought relocation within the city limits, while the available rehabilitation sites were under the Tamil Nadu Housing Board in the outskirts. Officials had earlier indicated that the eviction drive would be taken up after the elections. However, no progress has been made so far, delaying the long-pending road widening project.
Published - July 19, 2026 07:17 pm IST