The Palakkad Main Road in Coimbatore is set to be widened from a single-lane road into a four-lane road. The goal of widening the road is to reduce the amount of one-way traffic which often causes congestion and delays. The project is expected to cost Rs 1.02 billion and is currently awaiting Administrative Sanction (AS) from the state government. The proposal, submitted by the Coimbatore State Highways Department, intends to acquire land on both sides of the road and expand the lane over a distance of 800 metres. The new road is planned to be 16.2 m wide with 7.5 m allocated for both sides and 1.2 m allocated for the central median. Additionally, a 5.5 m wide road will be developed on both sides of the nearby Marappalam railway bridge along with a stormwater drainage system. An official from the Highways Department has stated that once the sanction is granted, the road-widening work will begin immediately and will likely be completed within a year. He added that during construction, light vehicles such as motorcycles will take a left at Madukkarai junction if they are heading to Kerala from Coimbatore. If they are heading to Coimbatore from Kerala, they will be allowed through Chettipalayam Pirivu, Viragukadai Bridge, and ACC Cement Factory Road. Heavy vehicles will be prohibited from the road, instead being diverted on L&T Bypass Road.Image source:www.reddit.com