The State Highways department (NH wing) has started land acquisition for laying the new greenfield four-way bypass road between Virattipattu and Nagamalai Pudukottai. Estimated to cost `260 crore, the 3.53-kilometre road will start a few metres from the end of the grade separator.
It will help commuters from HMS colony, Achampattu, Viratipattu and Nagamalai Pudukottai take an alternative route to the Kochi-Bodi national highway bypassing Kanyakumari-Bengaluru highway.The current narrow two-way road from the city to the Kochi-Bodi NH, passes through residential areas of Virattipathu and Achampattu which in turn will also be decongested once the new road is complete.
“A four-way road is much needed as the existing two-way road is notorious for many minor road accidents due to the increasing traffic,” stated a senior NH official. Additionally, the bypass is expected to facilitate smoother transportation of goods, particularly spices, fruits and vegetables from Theni into the city, added the official.
The project, initially proposed in 2016-17, faced delays primarily due to the complex and costly land acquisition. Out of the total `260 crore, approximately `96 crore has been allocated for acquiring about 10 acres of land needed. The district administration has expedited the acquisition process.
“A special team of officials from revenue and NH was formed by the district administration to speed up land acquisition as the estimated time of completion is Dec 2025. Apart from that we have cleared most of the barren land and unassessed land (poramboke land) which are part of the project,” said the NH official.
Some residents of Achampattu and Virattipattu raised concerns about the new road crossing Kiruthumal and Madakulam channels which are already polluted.
“Already the river is in a bad state. When they construct this road the channel will be obstructed for at least a few months. Hope they revive it later without obstructing its natural flow,” P Balasubramaniam, a resident of Achampattu living on the boundaries of the river between Madurai corporation and Achampattu panchayat, said. NH officials said three minor bridges have been designed as a part of the project to bypass channels including Kiruthumal and Madakulam without impeding their natural flow.
“Additionally, a small flyover with underpass to circumvent Bengaluru-Kanyakumari Highway near Nagamalai Pudukottai is also part of the project,” said the official.
Concerns have also been raised about potential loss of vegetation, including coconut farms and agricultural land. But some residents argue that the project will offer economic opportunities for farmers considering the dwindling water availability in the region.
However, M Raj Kumar, a traffic activist, however said that farmers are more ready to sell it than pursue agriculture because of less water availability after Kirthumal channel dried up in the last two decades.”