Demolition of not-so-useful ramp will make Vaigai South Bank Road faster, safer

It has been more than five years since the wide Vaigai South Bank Road between Kuruvikkaran Salai and Viraganoor junction came into use.

After the then Commissioner of Police Prem Anand Sinha appealed to the people to make use of the wider road, it has since become the preferred road for people from northern parts of Madurai to reach Ring Road.

Access-control was the biggest advantage of the four-lane road. A proper median and fewer branch roads to enter the 3.5-km-long road made it safer.

However, as the ramp built to help vehicles climb down from PTR Bridge (on Teppakulam side) on the Vaigai South Bank Road to proceed towards Kuruvikkaran Salai bridge did not work.

The idea was to allow the vehicles coming from Viraganoor junction to take a detour near Teppakulam towards PTR Bridge and then further proceed again on the South Bank Road.

“However, since the Ramanathapuram Road was busy, vehicles preferred to drive straight on the South Bank Road to avoid halting at the signal near Teppakulam,” a police officer said.

However, this led to frequent road accidents near Pankajam Colony junction. On their part, Madurai City Police closed down an opening on the median near Pankajam Colony to prevent road crossing.

Besides, the police made unique barricade arrangement to make the speeding vehicles slow down at this point as the four-way road is reduced to two-lane road and vehicles coming in opposite directions.

Over the years, the ramp has lost its intended purpose. Moreover, the one-way traffic on the ramp (to climb down from PTR Bridge) has been violated every day. This is now shifting the danger of mishaps on the PTR Bridge.

To bring a permanent solution to both the problems — violation of one-way traffic on ramp and unsafe two-lane traffic for nearly 300 metres from Pankajam Colony junction till the roundabout on South Bank Road (near Teppakulam junction police outpost), the traffic police have proposed to remove the ramp.

“This will create adequate space for laying another two-lane road under the PTR Bridge thus providing a seamless four-way road with median for the entire 3.5 km stretch,” the officer said.

This will make the traffic flow faster and also safer.