Rain-damaged roads pose threat to motorists

They often result in skidding of vehicles, especially two-wheelers

TIRUCHI

The poor condition of many of the city roads, with just a week into the northeast monsoon season, seems to hold ominous forebodings for road users in the city.

Some of city roads have already taken a beating much to the chagrin of motorists. Potholes have cropped up roads maintained by the Corporation and the Highways Department as well.

Even roads which were re-laid a few months ago have suffered damages, exposing the quality of work. A case in point is the Sivaprakasam Salai, which was among the roads re-laid. The road had developed extensive damage even during the southwest monsoon rain and the contractor was asked to carry out repairs. But potholes have now emerged even on the stretches where the patchworks were carried out, especially in front of the Corporation’s Science Park.

The Anna Nagar Link Road, one of the arterial roads laid to good standards, too has suffered damages near the sharp turn near the District Court Campus where it joins the Bharathidasan Salai.

Damages to the Collectorate on the Collector’s Office Road, the Rockins Road leading to the Railway Junction, the service lanes beneath the yet-to-be opened road overbridge near the Railway Junction, and other parts stand out as poor examples of condition city roads.

In many other places, the top layer of the roads have been eroded leaving blue metal strewn around. This often results in skidding of vehicles, especially two wheelers, at the spots.

The Thanjavur Road, which is under the maintenance of the Highways Department, has also developed big potholes near the Soolakarai Mariamman Temple, near the Mahalakshmi Road and the Varaganeri Bazaar intersections, says K.Ramachandran, a city resident. “The potholes were filled up temporarily with gravel, but that too had come off,” Mr.Ramachandran said.

Mr.Ramachandran also points to the poor road condition of the stretch of the road between the Cholan Nagar and Pirattiyur on the Dindigul Highway and urged the authorities to take immediate steps to repair the damaged stretches.

In many of these roads, the absence of a proper system for draining rain water is apparently causing the damages to the bitumen surfaces.

“The civic body had invested heavily in building storm water drains and drainages, but the structures do no seem to have served the purpose. Water can be seen stagnating at many roads in Thillai Nagar and other places,” observes N.Jamaluddinn, another city resident.

Residents in several resident colonies, especially in places such as Kattur where the underground sewer lines were laid recently, have also been crying hoarse over the pathetic condition of interior roads.

The “deplorable condition” of the interior roads has been highlighted repeatedly in social media posts and memes in recent months.

Source: Read Full Article