By The Hindu Bureau
Local residents and tourists have called on the State Highways Department to expedite work on a 10-km stretch of road skirting Udhagamandalam town stating that the impact of the work to expand and re-lay the road was posing a hazard to motorists.
Residents said that work was resulting in soil from the surrounding areas washing onto the surface and making it extremely precarious for motorists, especially motorcycle riders to navigate the stretch.
R. Sudhakar, a local resident, said that the road was the only way to have access to a school in the area, and was also used by tourists to reach the Ooty lake and boat house as well as the Karnataka Siri Horticulture Garden.
鈥淭he road is extremely dangerous for two-wheeler riders especially at night, as the mud and debris from the surrounding areas washes onto the road during the rains and makes it extremely hazardous,鈥 he said.
The stretch of road is also used to travel to the villages of Kuruthukulli and even Nanjanad from Udhagamandalam town, while local residents and vehicles carrying freight can also reach the Gudalur Road without travelling into town by using the road.
However, the work on the road has forced more traffic into Udhagamandalam town and has also forced people travelling to nearby villages to take more circuitous routes to reach their destinations. Another resident, who travels to Kuruthukuli village, stated that due to the poor road conditions, he now takes a more than 7 km detour to reach the village.
The road expansion work has also resulted in electricity poles becoming more susceptible to being uprooted during spells of heavy rain and causing power outages, complain locals from Manjanakorai.
When contacted, top officials from the State Highways Separtment said that the road expansion and re-laying works were part of a 鈧81-crore project along a 10.85 km stretch from Lovedale that when completed will allow motorists proceeding to Gudalur to completely skirt the town, minimising traffic within Udhagamandalam itself. 鈥淲e know that motorists are facing a few hassles at the moment and are trying our best to ensure that the stretch is kept safe,鈥 said an official, adding that they expect the work to be completed by January of 2026. 鈥淲e urge the public to co-operate with us till then,鈥 he said.