3 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Highways dept appeals Madras HC order to demolish two pillars of Avinashi road elevated flyover project
COIMBATORE: The Madras High Court ordered the Special Projects wing of the State Highways department officials (Coimbatore division) to demolish two pillars built for the ramps of the Avinashi Road elevated flyover project. The move comes after a landowner alleged that the construction of the pillars appears to favour a private star hotel on Avinashi Road.
Meanwhile, the highways department has filed an appeal against the order.
Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that the pillars, originally spaced 30 metres apart, had been repositioned without structural justification. The judge ordered the demolition of the relocated pillars and reconstruction at the originally-sanctioned spots, citing risk to the structural integrity of the flyover. He also imposed a personal fine of Rs 1,000 each on two senior highways engineers, and directed that the relocated pillars be marked with the Tamil Nadu Government's motto "Vaaimaiye Vellum" (Truth Alone Triumphs), and be known as the "Pillars of Truth."
The 10.1 km-long, Rs 1,621.3 crore flyover project, connecting Uppilipalayam and Goldwins, is one of Tamil Nadu's largest infrastructure undertakings. Originally, the project included five pedestrian subways at high-traffic points to ensure safe crossings under the flyover, as well as service roads to maintain access to properties alongside the corridor.
Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause and a member of the Coimbatore District Road Safety Committee filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the highways department for omitting key pedestrian infrastructure and a service road in the ongoing Avinashi Road elevated flyover project. The PIL, filed before the Madras High Court, flags the silent removal of five approved pedestrian subways and the dropping of a service road near a private hotel, both of which were part of the original sanctioned plans.
