Trichy IBT link road to be delayed

Trichy: Trichy IBT link road implemented by Trichy corporation to connect Panjapur Integrated Bus Terminus (IBT) with state and national highways passing through Trichy will take at least 18 more months to conclude.

The project proposed in three phases faces multiple obstacles including slow land acquisition.Under the project, around 35% of work has been completed in phase I sanctioned at ₹81.7 crore between Panjapur and Karumandapam nodes while only 15% of work has been completed for phase II between Woraiyur and Kudamurutti checkpost.Earlier, it was slated that a portion of the road will be completed by Oct-Dec 2026, but it is unlikely to happen now.

The project could be completed by early 2028 if pending sanctions were received on time, corporation sources said.In phase I, delay persists in getting approval from Southern Railway for a railway RoB at E Pudur MGR Nagar, while land acquisition is not completed in phase II and III. Meanwhile, phase III of the project, connecting densely populated Karumandpam and Woraiyur areas, is yet to get an administrative sanction. Phase III is the longest and the most challenging portion of the project.

The project will have five elevated stretches including one near the Woraiyur Kasivilangi fish market.District collector Pratik Tayal reviewed the project’s progress on Saturday. He inspected the road being built on the banks of Koraiyar and Kudamurutti rivers, linking Trichy-Madurai NH with Trichy-Karur NH.“Land requirement was brought down to about an acre from eight acres in the initial proposal. But, enter upon permission and access to the work site are pending,” a source said and added that only half of the property owners have agreed to the compensation promised for the acquisition.Officials said land acquisition will be expedited. Excluding phase III, the link road could be completed in a year. However, phase III is the vital link, without which the road project will not serve the full purpose. “The new TVK govt should expedite the road work and allocate adequate funds. The link road is essential to decongest the city,” P Ayyarappan, managing trustee, Road Users Welfare Trust, said.