Citing worsening traffic congestion, Prabhakaran, opposition floor leader of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) and AIADMK representative, has urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to take immediate action to construct the long-pending ramps of the Gandhipuram flyover.
In a detailed letter to the Chief Minister, Prabhakaran said, “Completing these ramps will significantly ease traffic snarls in the heart of Coimbatore and benefit thousands of daily commuters.”
He pointed out that traffic congestion in key areas such as 100 Feet Road, Sathy Road, and Nanjappa Road has intensified in recent years.
Prabhakaran noted that the two-tier Gandhipuram flyover was constructed in 2017 during the AIADMK regime at a cost of Rs 148 crore (Rs 1.48 billion). Shortly after its completion, residents, volunteers, and then Local Administration Minister S P Velumani had appealed for additional ramps to allow vehicles to descend at Bharathiar Road and 100 Feet Road, thereby improving traffic flow from Ganapathy Textool to Park Gate.
In response to these appeals, a special committee was formed in 2019 to study the feasibility of the project. Based on its recommendations, the then-AIADMK government issued Government Order MS.19/HMP/30.09.2020, sanctioning Rs 23.92 crore (Rs 239 million) and directing the State Highways Department to commence construction. However, despite the allocation of funds, the project has remained stalled for the past five years.
Accusing the State Highways Department of reluctance to begin work, Prabhakaran urged the government to revive the scheme “on a war-footing.”
He rejected claims that metro rail surveys were responsible for the delay, asserting that the construction of the ramps does not conflict with metro development efforts.
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