Third-phase execution of ring road project on steam.

The Highways Department is into executing third phase of ring-road project linking Kangeyam Road with Chennimalai road.

The department has started off by laying roads on land portions in Pudur Pudupalayam village where compensation has been awarded.

Acquisition process could not be completed in Erode C village where there were as many as 24 petitioners.

However, the judgment on land acquisition has been delivered in favour of the government. Similar developments are expected in three other villages: Muthampalayam, Thindal and Vadamugavellode, official sources said.

Under the third and fourth phases that would be carried out simultaneously, the ring road would be extended to a length of 7km from the Kangeyam road to Thindal. The project involving construction of a bridge at Jeeva Nagar will be completed by February-March 2017, sources said.

A stretch of 7.6 km laid under the first two phases from Kokkarayanpettai in Namakkal district to Kangeyam road is already being utilised by the travelling public.

It is learnt that the Highways Department has shelved its proposal for linking Thindal with Chithode under Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project. According to sources, the department prefers to execute the project at a later point of time under World Bank funding since huge compensation has to be paid to owners of cultivable land in Vilarasanpatti-Nasiyanur areas.

With a straight alignment, the distance from Thindal to Chithode could be cut down by 40 per cent to 10 kilometres, sources said.

The Hindu