Azhagiyamandapam junction revamped to ease traffic congestion

In a significant effort to ease traffic congestion in Azhagiyamandapam area, the State highways department has removed temporary encroachments and widened the road.

In addition, a roundabout has also been set up on a trial basis at the Azhagiyamandapam junction, to facilitate the smooth movement of traffic from all the four directions.

As the junction is the part of the major highways connecting Nagercoil and Thiruvananthapuram, it often experiences traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours. The issue has also been raised several times at the road safety meetings in Kanniyakumari district.

However, recently, the State government had decided to widen the road in by evicting temporary encroachments and have set up a roundabout with barricades on trial basis before its permanent construction.

Rafiq, a hotelier from the area, welcomed the move by both highways and traffic police departments. “Due to encroachments on both sides of the road, it was a tough job to navigate the Azhagiyamandapam area,” he said. He added even after the completion of a new bypass connecting Nagercoil and Kaliyakkavilai, this widening work and roundabout were expected to benefit the local residents.

Speaking on this an official from the Thuckalay traffic wing said, the creation of a temporary roundabout had been well received, as it facilitated smoother movement of traffic.

He added that a separate bus bay in the area could further help reduce congestion in the area.

An official from the State highways department said, “The stretch was part of the abandoned NH-47 stretch, which was recently handed over to the State highways departments in various bits and pieces in the district.”

She added, following the request from the traffic police and public, encroachments were removed on the road to facilitate easier movement of traffic. The official further noted around 10 days had passed since the temporary roundabout was created and that necessary action would be taken to construct a permanent one after a week.

She noted, instead of creating a separate bus bay, if there were requests, the bus stop on Nagercoil side could be shifted 100 to 150 metres towards Marthandam, as it was currently located close to the roundabout.