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Residents seek building of median on Tiruchi-Karur highway

AnyFans 2025-09-26

By The Hindu Bureau

With no let up in the number of road accidents along the Tiruchi-Karur National Highway, residents living in the suburban areas of the city have urged the State government to widen and build medians wherever possible between Tiruchi and Pettavaithalai.

The Tiruchi-Karur section of the national highway has been prone to accidents and the stretch between Pettavaitthalai and Tiruchi has been witnessing accidents almost every other day. Thousands of heavy vehicles pass through the section daily. Road users are being severely affected by the prevailing situation, P. Ayyarappan, president, Road Users Welfare Association, said in representation to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin,

“We have submitted a petition to the Chief Minister online pointing out that 112 accidents have been reported between in the year 2024 on the Tiruchi-Karur NH section, resulting in 44 fatalities. About 15 fatalities have been reported so far this year,” Mr. Ayyarappan said.

Pointing to the recent death of a Revenue Divisional Officer in a road accident at Kadiyakurichi near Jeeeyapuram, Mr. Ayyarappan said accidents continued unabated although barricades had been placed at various places along the highway stretch by the police.

Widening the road, wherever possible, and construction of a median at villages or suburbs along the stretch could help significantly reduce accidents, the association contended.

The 11-km stretch between Tiruchi and Thindukarai, which runs between the Cauvery and Tiruchi-Karur railway line, is under the maintenance of the State Highways and the Thindukarai-Pettavaithalai stretch comes under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Once the Panjapur-Thindukarai Bypass is built, traffic is bound to increase manifold between Thindukkarai and Pettavaithalai and it was essential adequate safety measures were put in place, residents say.

“Highways department officials say they have sent proposals for construction of medians on some stretches. This should be sanctioned expeditiously and the NHAI should take steps to widen the road section under its control,” Mr. Ayyarappan said.