Residents of Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district want a bypass to be built around the temple town. The current road passes through the famous Sri Bhavani Amman temple and suffers from traffic jams during peak hours on most days.
The road from Janapachathram Junction to Uthurkottai has been witnessing traffic jams for almost four hours and is one to two km in both directions.
Rajkumar, a resident of Thandalam village, said, “Earlier, we used to experience traffic jams during the month of Aadi and on Tuesdays and Fridays. Now the number of vehicles plying on Janapanchathiram on Uthukottai Road has increased exponentially. People going to Thandalam, Palavakkam and Uthugiukotpal, Surguthra Nadhra and Pradhrau Tamilde take this route. Suruttupalli is famous for the Palli Kondeswarar temple and there is a Kala Bhairavar temple in Ramagiri For some time, the access to the new road to Chittoor will also be near Uthukottai and this road has already attracted more than 5,000 vehicles a day.
Social activist M. Bhaskaran said encroachments along the road have not been removed. “When they are removed, only the small roadside vendors are removed. Buildings occupying space on the road side remain. There are two bazaars along the road, one at Kanigaiper and another at Periyapalayam. There are times when people miss out on important opportunities due to traffic. The bypass was announced long ago but is yet to be constructed,” added motorists from Avadi and Tiruval.
Sources in the road department said a proposal to build a bypass for Periyapalayam is under consideration. It was put on hold because of another road to be built by the National Highways Authority of India.
Published – 12 May 2026 07:16 IST
