No funds, no timeline for Trichy elevated corridors in interim budget

Trichy: The interim budget has disappointed residents as it made no mention of fund allocation or land acquisition status for two long-pending elevated corridor projects aimed at easing the city's worsening traffic congestion.The proposed 2.6km flyover linking Odathurai near the Cauvery bridge to Mallachipuram on the Trichy-Karur national highway, and the 2.7km flyover between the Head Post Office (HPO) and Puthur signals, have seen little progress since 2021-22, and the state highways department has yet to allocate funds or begin work. "It is a double blow for Trichy as neither the Trichy metro nor the elevated roads have materialised. Arterial roads are choked even during non-peak hours. We expected a firm commitment from the govt," said V B Jaganath of Trichy Intra-City Development Endeavours (TIDES).Official sources said land plan schedules (LPS) for both projects are still pending. The budget also did not mention the proposed link road between the MGR statue in Cantonment and Sunnambukaranpatti. Industry bodies, however, welcomed other announcements. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Trichy zone, praised the focus on tier-II and tier-III cities, particularly the 1,070 crore allocation for regional TIDEL parks and continued support for MSMEs. Residents and trade associations also welcomed the 374 crore allocation for riverfront development across the state, including work along the Cauvery in Trichy. The project proposes amenities such as sewage treatment plants to curb wastewater discharge, streetlights and public parks. HITS TIDEL park funding in Trichy Riverfront development MISS No information on elevated corridors and link roads New Semmozhi park announcement