It is still uncertain the new bypass road that is to connect the Tiruchi-Madurai, Tiruchi-Dindigul and Tiruchi-Karur national highways on the outskirts of Tiruchirapalli city. Because no decision has been arrived yet on identifying an alternative alignment since the High Court struck down the plan to lay the road across irrigation tanks.
Work on the bypass road was halted after the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court based on petition filed by local farmers, struck down National Highways Authority of India’s plan to lay the road across Kothamangalam, Kallikudi, and Punganur tanks in 2010. The farmers alleged that laying the road across the tanks would affect irrigation and their livelihood.
The road was to run from Panchapur on the NH 45 via Thayanur to Jeeyapuram on NH 67. The project was taken up as part of widening of the NH 67 being executed on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.
Widening of the Karur highway is nearing completion even as the fate of the bypass road hangs in balance. The court in a subsequent order had also ordered the NHAI to remove the sand dumped on Kothamangalam and Punganur tanks for laying the road. The process started recently and is still underway.
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