Neelambur junction in Coimbatore reels under traffic snarls during evening hours

Neelambur junction, a critical gateway where the busy Avinashi Road meets the Salem – Kochi Highway, is witnessing regular traffic snarls in the evenings, primarily affecting vehicles proceeding to Tiruppur.

The stretch from Chinniyampalayam police checkpost and Neelambur flyover is often marked ‘dark red’ on Google Maps in the evenings, typically between 5.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m., indicating the severity of the congestion. The evening rush sees a mix of office-goers, airport traffic and multi-axle trucks.

“Though a new police station has come up at Neelambur, adequate numbers of personnel are not posted here to regulate the traffic. Vehicles parked in front of shops and multiple ‘U’ turns are also reasons for congestion,” said Suresh Kumar, a trader.

While a proposed 5-km extension of Avinashi Road flyover (GD Flyover) from Goldwins to Neelambur offers a glimmer of hope, regular commuters call for immediate traffic management measures, such as prevention of illegal parking and removal of roadside encroachments, to ease the present situation.

Coimbatore District Road Safety Committee member K. Kathirmathiyon said the proposed extension of the flyover announced by the Chief Minister should be carried out at the earliest. “Highways Department should consider widening the stretch if the extension proposal is seeing inordinate delay,” he said.