Delay In CCMC Approval Stalls Pullukadu Junction Project

A key traffic decongestion project at Pullukadu Junction has been delayed after the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) did not grant approval for modifications to a section of the Smart City pedestrian pathway, postponing the proposed junction improvement works. Pullukadu Junction links Sungam Bypass, Vincent Road, Pullukadu Main Road, the Ukkadam flyover down ramp and adjoining service roads, and is one of the city's busiest intersections. Authorities identified persistent bottlenecks prompting the scheme.

A joint team of city traffic police, CCMC officials and road safety experts recently inspected the junction to identify practical solutions, with the exercise led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic). The team included G Manuneethi, former Divisional Engineer (Road Safety) of the State Highways Department, who is serving as a consultant to the District Road Safety Committee (DRSC). Following the assessment, officials outlined a series of measures intended to improve traffic flow.

The package proposed redesigning the existing roundabout, removing haphazardly parked vehicles around the junction and shifting a small portion of the pedestrian pathway along Vincent Road to create additional carriageway space. As the pathway was constructed under the Smart City Mission, any alteration requires approval by the CCMC commissioner before work can commence. Sources indicated that relocating the pathway would provide nearly two metres of additional carriageway and significantly ease vehicle movement through the junction.

Several days after the joint inspection the proposal remained pending with the civic body, preventing authorities from initiating improvement works. Project officials indicated that if approval is further delayed the matter will be placed before the District Road Safety Committee, chaired by the district collector, which has authority to review and facilitate implementation in the interest of public safety and traffic management. Attempts by the New Indian Express to contact CCMC Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja were unsuccessful.

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