Demands grows louder for restoring damaged Marudhamalai road in Coimbatore city

Motorists navigating the the damaged stretch of the Marudhamalai road in Coimbatore city. | Photo Credit: S. SIVA SARAVANAN For Sudharshan, who commutes on the Marudhamalai-Vadavalli road, the pothole-riddled thoroughfare is causing health problems. “People are so frustrated with the poor condition of the road but do not know who to approach for re-laying the road,” he said.K. Kathirathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said the incomplete restoration of the Maruthamalai Main Road for 6 km following the Underground Drainage (UGD) work carried out by the TWAD Board is leading to major safety hazards.“Although TWAD completed house service connections [of the UGD] and reportedly transferred approximately ₹9 crore to the Highways Department in July 2026 to restore part of the road, execution has been sluggish,” he alleged.A plan by the State Highways Department to widen the road into a four-lane one has also been deferred because of the ongoing UGD work even after awarding the tender to a contractor, he says.Gravel is scattered on the road, and the surface of the road is uneven. Even the repaired portions got damaged again within four months. With the city receiving rain for the past few days, the condition of the road has worsened and is leading to more accidents, he said.Protruding chamber coversThe covers of the UGD chamber, located in the middle of the road, are not level with the road surface, causing more hardship to road users.Also, TWAD had laid house service connection pipes at a shallow depth of approximately one foot. Proper road widening and shoulder strengthening require excavation of more than two feet. These pipelines, as such, are prone to damage when road works are taken up by the Highways Department. As per reports, the road restoration works will take at least another three months.Local authorities and the government departments concerned should direct TWAD to suspend new road excavations till the rainy season ends and complete restoration of the damaged areas immediately, Mr. Kathirmathiyon demanded.The damaged road sections and space around the UGD chambers should be levelled, house service connection pipes should be re-laid to facilitate road widening works, and the Highways Department should support the agencies on ground for re-laying of the damaged areas of the road, he said. Published - October 24, 2026 07:06 pm IST