District Collector Anand Mohan
Inspecting the site for rail overbridge at Kulavanigarpuram manned level crossing in Tirunelveli on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGMENT
The much-awaited rail overbridge at Kulavanigarpuram manned level crossing may get realised in near future as District Collector Anand Mohan inspected the spot on Thursday after proposal for constructing a ‘Y’-shaped ROB at this spot on an outlay of ₹120 crore has been submitted for administrative sanction.Seed for constructing ROB at Kulavanigarpuram manned level crossing, a much-needed project, was sown in 2007 as this level crossing near Palayamkottai Central Prison on the busy Thiruvananthapuram Highway is closed 16 times a day causing severe traffic jam along this road for more than a kilometre every time. As vehicles, including ambulances rushing to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital get trapped in this traffic snarl every time, at least 15 minutes are required for normalcy to return, which poses serious threat to the life of critically ill patients.Minister T. P. M. Mohideen Khan, who was representing Palayamkottai Assembly constituency, took the steps for constructing this ROB. Since the pillars to be erected on both sides of this bridge threatened private properties on both sides of the Palayamkottai – Kulavanigarpuram Railway Gate stretch, they obtained interim stay from the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.After prolonged legal battle, the Court gave green signal for the ROB by clearing interim stays to pave way for giving compensation to the land losers. Moreover, the soil tests have also been completed and these test results have been submitted to the Chief Engineer of Department of Highways for the mandatory approval.Even after the then Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced during his visit to Tirunelveli in September 2022 that the ROB would be built within a year, no step was taken by the Department of Highways to translate this promise into action.The inspection by the District Collector has now rekindled hopes for finding everlasting solution to the excruciating traffic jam at this spot whenever the manned level crossing is closed.“The proposed ‘Y’-shaped ROB will ensure unhindered movement of vehicles coming from Palayamkottai bus-stand to the new bus stand and Melapalayam and vice-versa even when the Kulavanigarpuram manned level crossing is closed. A sum of ₹17.73 crore has been received to be given as compensation to the land-losers and 90% of this task has been completed. So, the disbursal of compensation will be completed before August-end,” Mr. Anand Mohan said after inspection of the site for the ROB on Thursday.The Collector also reviewed the progress of the work on 32-Km-long Tirunelveli west bypass road, which is being implemented at a cost of ₹500 crore to decongest traffic within Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai by connecting the Tirunelveli – Kanniyakumari 4-lane national highway at Konganthanparai intersection near IRT Polytechnic and Thazhaiyoothu via Tharuvai, Suthamalli, Abhishekapatti and Rastha.In other words, vehicles, particularly heavy vehicles proceeding to Tenkasi or Kerala from Nagercoil, Thoothukudi and Kovilpatti can take this road instead of traversing the highly cramped Tirunelveli Junction and Tirunelveli Town roads.In the first phase between Konganthaanpaarai intersection, road has been laid for 12 Km. However, construction of two elevated bridges, two small bridges and 44 culverts is going on in this stretch.In the second phase, 98% of land acquisition for laying road for 20 Km has been completed as ₹80 crore is being given as compensation to the land-losers. Hence, work on this stretch is also likely to start shortly. Published - July 30, 2026 06:16 pm IST
