Drone view of the Coimbatore Western Bypass development by the State Highways Department. | Photo credit: Special Arrangement
The State Highways Department hopes to complete the first phase of the Coimbatore Western Bypass project by August next year.
A department official said the 32-km road would be completed in three phases. The first phase involves construction of an 11.8 km four-lane road from Madukkarai (Mayilkal) to Madhampatti. The road with paved shoulders will be constructed in the first phase at a cost of ₹200 crores. Work has slowed down due to sand availability issues. The matter has already been clarified and the work will be accelerated and completed on time, the official said.
The department is acquiring land for the second stage and it is already 70% ready. This will cover almost 10 km from Madhampatti to Kanuvai. At least 90% completion must be achieved for the government to allocate funds. “We hope that the land acquisition process for the second phase will be completed within a month,” he said.
The official added that in the last phase of work, activities to acquire land have just started.
If there are delays in an infrastructure project, the government should look into the issue in detail and ensure that no project is delayed for more than a year, said K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause.
“Once a project is completed, its entire scope changes and society’s perspective changes as well. Many projects are abandoned or canceled because of this. The western bypass was built almost two decades ago, he said.
There can be many reasons delaying land acquisition, especially in Coimbatore. He added that the government should also set deadlines for land acquisition if there are no legal issues.
