Highway blockade over underpass demand worsens Trichy traffic chaos

Trichy: Hundreds of residents blocked the Trichy-Chennai National Highway (NH-38) near Sanjeevi Nagar on Saturday, demanding the construction of an underpass and worsening traffic congestion already caused by the closure of the Old Cauvery Bridge for maintenance.The Old Cauvery Bridge, a key route for traffic from Trichy to Chennai, was closed on June 25 for three months of repairs by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Traffic has since been diverted to the adjacent four-lane bridge, with its normally one-way carriageways converted for bidirectional traffic, resulting in severe congestion and long delays.The bridge, built in 1963, last underwent repairs in 2010.Residents of Sarkarpalayam and nearby villages said the diversion has cut off their direct access from the highway. Commuters travelling from the southern side now have to drive nearly 5 km to Thiruvanaikaval, take a U-turn and return south to reach their villages.Staging a protest near the Sanjeevi Nagar signal, residents said they have long demanded an underpass at the location, citing frequent accidents and the inconvenience caused by the diversion.

“If there had been an underpass, the villagers would not have lost their immediate access during these diversions,” said P Ayyarappan, founder of the Road User Welfare Trust.He also urged NHAI to expedite the bridge maintenance works. “Considering the severity of the impact caused by the current diversions, NHAI should complete the repairs on schedule,” he said.The protest further worsened traffic, with vehicle queues stretching for nearly 3 km up to Palpannai junction. Officials from various departments later held talks with the protesters and assured them that their demand would be considered.An NHAI official told TOI that tenders for the proposed underpass were being floated and that the work would begin within a year.