Heavy movement of traffic on Shastri Road in Tiruchi has damaged the stretch. | Photo Credit: M. Srinath more-in Shastri Road, part of Thillai Nagar, was once a quiet road passing through a primarily a residential locality with public transport vehicles preferring the Thillai Nagar main road. But, ever since Anna Nagar Link Road was connected with Lawsons Road in Cantonment, Shastri Road has become one of the busiest roads. But, road users rue that Shastri Road is rapidly turning out to be one among the many damaged roads in the city. Local residents and regular road users complain that the road is full of potholes at several parts. The entire stretch from Anna Nagar Link Road to Karur Bypass Road has several spots where the black top has disappeared. The Tiruchi City Corporation has relaid several arterial roads including the Collector Office Road, Bharathidasan Road and others at an outlay of about ?11 crore recently. But, the Shastri Road was not included in it. Considering the bad condition of it, the authorities carried out patch works on the road about a few months ago. But, extensive use of the road and heavy vehicular traffic movement has further damaged the road. “The road is rapidly turning out to be unmotorable due to extensive damage and uneven surface. We are forced to drive at a snail’s speed on the road. The important road cannot be neglected,” S. Viswanathan of Srirangam, a regular user of Shastri Road. Corporation officials maintained that there was a plan to develop Shastri Road under the smart city initiative. It was the main reason for excluding the road when other major roads were relaid recently. Regular road users have demanded that the Tiruchi Corporation should take immediate steps to improve the road so as to ensure smooth vehicular movement before developing it under the smart city initiative.

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