Plan to widen Dindigul-Sathy road.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is likely to finalise the feasibility study shortly to widen National Highways 83 (earlier known as NH 209) from Dindigul to Sathyamangalam and from Sathyamangalam to Karnataka border.

An official of the NHAI said that the consultant preparing the feasibility study will make a presentation and take suggestions and the report will be submitted to the State Government. The plan is to widen the road for 262 km in four packages. The road from Sathyamangalam to Karnataka border will be widened into a two-lane road. It involves land acquisition and will be a major project. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Central Government has approved widening of the road from Pollachi to Coimbatore though it is part of NH 83.

Pravin of Pollachi Papyrus says that the road has a large number of trees forming a green canopy and these should not be brought down while widening the road. The authorities should look at acquiring land and shifting the trees so that the road can be widened and the trees transplanted to the sides of the newly-developed, wide road.

Apart from this, widening of Madukkarai – Walayar road into a four-lane one is on as part of the project to widen the Chengapalli-Neelambur, Madukarai-Walayar road at a total cost of Rs. 850 crore by the NHAI under the BOT mode.

Sivakumar, who lives near Walayar and travels to the city every day for work, says that Navakarai on NH 544 (earlier NH 47) sees heavy flow of traffic.

The new, four-lane road that is under development should have a system, such as a traffic signal, in place to help pedestrians cross the road at Navakarai.

Sources say that for three-km stretch at Navakarai, the new road does not have any facility that will help pedestrians cross the road. The speed limit on the road is 110 km per hour and pedestrians are at risk when they move from one side of the road to the other.

The NHAI plans to write to the officials to ensure that vehicles are not stopped on the main carriageway near the check posts. Parking of vehicles on the main road can also lead to accidents, say the sources.

THE HINDU