HC directs officials to remove arches that hinder traffic in Madurai

Madurai: Madras high court directed Madurai corporation and the district administration authorities to remove the K K Nagar arch and other arches that hinder free flow of traffic in Madurai district within three months.The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by M Saravanan of Madurai in 2019. The petitioner stated that vehicular traffic in Madurai increased manifold over the past 15 years owing to the establishment and full-fledged functioning of major commercial and public infrastructure, including markets, bus stands, industrial estates and the HC Madurai bench.He stated that a huge concrete arch situated opposite the MGR bus stand in Mattuthavani was causing hindrance to vehicular traffic. The arch, which was erected during the 1981 World Tamil Conference, takes nearly 20ft of the road with vehicles being parked nearby, hindering motorists and pedestrians. The petitioner said there are similar arches on the Therkuvasal-Madurai airport road in Villapuram and on the Madurai-Theni road in Virattipathu, contributing to traffic congestion on the corporation limits. Hence, the petitioner moved court seeking to remove all the arches that are causing congestion in Madurai.A division bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice M Jothiraman observed that it is the case of the petitioner that the arches, originally constructed to demarcate entry points to the city, have outlived their purpose and are now obsolete. Their presence, particularly at high-traffic junctions, creates artificial bottlenecks, impedes vehicular movement and violates road safety norms prescribed by the Indian Roads Congress. The judges took note of the submission of the counsel appearing for the authorities, stating that pursuant to the earlier order passed by the court in 2024, the arch situated opposite MGR bus stand has been removed. The counsel said a tender has been floated for removal of the arch in K K Nagar, and the same will be removed after elections are over. Hence, the judges directed the Madurai corporation and district administration to remove the arches within three months, and disposed of the petition.
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