The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has issued a notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) that seeks to revive the proposed flyover or grade separator project at Viraganur Roundana junction in Madurai. A division bench comprising Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice M Jothiraman ordered the notice to the authorities and adjourned the matter to July 8.
Petition Details
The petition was filed by Theeran Thirumurugan, who has requested the court to direct the state highways department and other authorities to reconsider the feasibility study and technical reports already prepared for the junction. Viraganur Roundana serves as one of the main southern entry points to Madurai, connecting the city with Ramanathapuram, Sivagangai, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari districts. It also functions as an access corridor to Madurai airport.
Traffic Congestion Issues
According to the petitioner, the existing traffic infrastructure is inadequate for the current volume of vehicles. Congestion during peak hours, festivals, political conferences, VIP visits, and public events extends for several kilometers. Thirumurugan argued that the continued inaction of the highways department has resulted in a serious public infrastructure deficiency affecting lakhs of commuters and road users. He emphasized that the issue is not merely a local inconvenience but a matter of substantial public importance impacting the transportation network of the entire southern region of Tamil Nadu.
Government's Previous Action
The government had earlier recognized the need for a grade separator at the junction and spent ₹12.16 lakh on preparing a detailed project report and related studies. The petitioner stated that the proposal was dropped primarily due to contractual issues linked to possible toll revenue loss to the concessionaire during construction, and not because the project was unnecessary or technically unviable.
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