The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation has announced a significant deadline for two crucial infrastructure projects causing disruptions at a key city junction. Officials have committed to completing simultaneous stormwater drain enhancement and 24/7 water supply pipeline works at Lanka Corner by Sunday night.
Dual Infrastructure Push at Busy Junction
For the past ten days, the corporation has been executing two major road-cutting operations at the Lanka Corner junction. The first involves a critical upgrade to the 24/7 water supply network. Work is focused on connecting the main feeder line running from State Bank Road and Trichy Road near the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). To achieve this, a new pipeline spanning 70 meters is being laid underground.
Combating Waterlogging with New Box Culverts
Parallel to the water pipeline project, a major stormwater drainage improvement initiative is underway. The existing drain system was found to be inadequate, leading to persistent water clogging and stagnation during rains. To solve this, the civic body is installing a series of precast box culverts over a 60-meter stretch.
A senior corporation official provided an update, stating that about 20 meters of the drain work is already finished. The remaining 40 meters along the CMCH side is in progress and slated for completion alongside the water project by Sunday night.
Enhanced Capacity and Traffic Normalization
The new drainage infrastructure promises a substantial improvement. "The current precast is bigger than the existing one," the official explained. "It is about 1.5 meters high and more than two meters wide and can handle the rainwater effectively." This increased dimension is expected to drastically reduce water drainage time from the previous minimum of 30 minutes.
The official confirmed that work on the entire 60-meter drain, along with road restoration, will be finished by the Sunday deadline. The estimated cost for the stormwater drain component is currently Rs 60 lakh, though final figures may be adjusted after project completion.
In a relief to commuters, vehicular traffic on the Railway Junction-CMCH stretch, which was diverted via Trichy Road for over a week, was restored on Friday. This partial normalization eases congestion as the final leg of underground work concludes.
