Damage to steel crash barrier raises safety concerns among motorists near Mutharasanallur

Damage to steel crash barrier along the railway track on Tiruchi-Karur National Highway at Mutharasanallur has raised safety concerns among motorists.

The road and railway track run parallel for about one km from Murungapettai to Kanavannur. With hundreds of vehicles passing through this stretch daily, the Southern Railway installed a steel barrier as a safety measure several years ago.

The strong barrier, which served the purpose for long, had become weak for various reasons. In many places, the barrier had been damaged. A portion of it has been buried as the height of the road kept rising every time it was asphalted. In some spots, the barrier is completely missing. It has raised safety risks among the motorists who commute regularly on the road. “If two-wheelers or other vehicles in this area meet with an accident or go out of control there is a high risk of them directly falling on the railway track. This will not only pose a serious danger to railway passenger safety and train operations, but will also cause great danger to motorists and the public travelling on the road,” says R. Thiruvengadam, a social activist of Allur, who uses the road regularly.

There was an urgent need to reinstall the steel safety barrier as the stretch between Kudamuriti and Mutharasanallur was narrow. Petitions had been submitted to the Southern Railway seeking immediate steps to install a new safety barrier. The Highway Department should strengthen the road stretch with safety measures.