All of a sudden, vehicular traffic at Aavin Junction looks chocked as Madurai City Traffic Police have reverted to old pattern of traffic flow on the junction.
Earlier, Madurai City Traffic Police had banned proceeding of vehicles from the junction directly towards Tiruvalluvar Statue junction off Panagal Road. This was done in March 2023. There was initial objections as vehicles from Sivaganga Road and K.K. Nagar had to take a circuitous route from the junction through Kuruvikkaran Salai Second Street, Gandhi Road to reach Tiruvalluvar Statue junction to proceed towards Goripalayam junction.
However, this practice led to lesser waiting time for signal at the junction as vehicles from Sivaganga Road had got a free left turn to go to Panangal Road and vehicles proceeding from Kuruvikkaran Salai got additional time to proceed straight towards K.K. Nagar.
But, reverting to the old traffic flow of allowing vehicles from K.K. Nagar and Sivaganga Road towards Tiruvalluvar statue junction has led to increased waiting time for vehicles leading to piling up of vehicles on all roads.
Similarly, the one-way traffic system, which was introduced last year on Panangal Road between Government Rajaji hospital main entrance and Goripalayam junction, has also been removed.
Vehicles from Tiruvalluvar Statue junction can now go upto Goripalayam junction instead of diversion through Sivashanmugam Pillai Salai.
Traffic police personnel said that work of relaying of road on Kuruvikkaran Salai Second Street was the reason for altering the traffic flow at Aavin junction.
Besides, officials of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation had complained about incurring additional fuel expenses for their buses taking circuitous routes due to diversions of vehicles at Aavin junction and on Panangal Road.
“TNSTC officials complained that lack of bus services upto GRH led to loss of revenue as passengers switched over to autorickshaws which was picking up and dropping them near the GRH entrance,” said a traffic police officer.
However, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), D. Kumar, said that in view of the major traffic diversions being planned in the city to facilitate construction of flyover on Alagarkoil Road-Goripalayam junction stretch, the new arrangements have been made.
“These are measures taken up on an experimental basis anticipating additional vehicular movement through Aavin junction. Based on the requirement, we will fine-tune the movement to ensure lesser inconvenience to vehicle users and free flow of traffic,” he said.
