The Projects Wing of the Tamil Nadu State Highways Department has submitted a Rs 102.3 crore proposal to the state government to develop the Marappalam railway underpass on the Coimbatore-Palakkad main road at Madukkarai, addressing long-standing public demand for better traffic flow. The project began in May with traffic diversions in place, concerns were raised over the slow pace of work.

The plan includes relaying railway tracks over the underpass, widening the carriageway from two lanes to four, and acquiring 4,700 sq. mtrs. of land. "The land acquisition alone will require about ?17 crore," said an official. The underpass will be built in a rectangular shape with large retaining walls, topped by 82 mtrs. of railway track. The Highways Department also plans to develop about 750 mtrs. on both sides of the structure.

"We expect that both the administrative sanction and the CLA approval for land acquisition will be granted before the railway department completes its work on reconstructing the railway tracks," the official added. Located two km from the Kochi-Salem National Highway, the current British-era underpass is the only toll-free connector between Coimbatore and Kerala, but its single-lane capacity often causes severe congestion.