namma mejura » Infrastructure

More updates on Madurai Airport

Viggie — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:50:24 +0000

Renovation of Madurai Airport is nearing completion. There were conflicting reports on the press about new airport will be functional by end of June, July this year. But going by the photos it seems it will take at least another 3 months. And then add another month or two for a convenient date of opening ceremony. The probable expected date can be any time in September – October this year.

Pics on Airport developments were posted in SkyscraperCity Madurai Airport Forum by Harish Ravi & Ananth. They mentioned that pics were taken by one Mr.Gnanavelu. Please view all the pictures at the following places.
Post No.349
Post No. 353

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

I’ve posted couple of sample photos here for a quick view.

Some more photos were available at All about Madurai forum

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Toll roads are expensive around Madurai

Viggie — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:15:42 +0000

4-track roads have become the reality around Madurai since 2009. If you travel on road towards north (Salem), south (Kanyakumai) & north-east (Trichy) you can travel in relative comfort, fast & smooth. All these roads were 4-track & completed. Further the road towards south-east (Tuticorin) is also 4-track and fast nearing completion.

But all these improvements come with a price, that place regular travellers in a fix. If you have to commute about 30 kms on these 4-track daily on a car, you have to pay about Rs.75 per day for using the road. Adding to the rising fuel expenses, this adds a sizable Rs.2,000 burden per month.

If you visit nearby Melur (30kms) on Madurai – Trichy road in a car, you need to pay Rs.50 one way (or Rs.75 for two way – if returned same day). Car travel from Madurai to Chennai cost around Rs.235 one way on toll fee. About the same as a reserved second class sleeper ticket on train.

Toll charges seems to be costliest between Madurai and Trichy (120 kms) with Rs.95 one way (or Rs.145 for two way). Needless to say, it has put a positive effect of car owners who travel single. They either opt for other modes (Rs.40 is the fare on bus), or go for car pool whenever possible. NHAI can claim they are forcing car owners go green!

The rates were higher for heavy vehicles. Needless to say lorry owners are not taking it lightly. A return trip between Tuticorin and Bangalore is said to be costing Rs.3,500 on toll alone. They have announced indefinite strike from August 2, 2010. They are readily supported by private bus & van operators.

Hope some respite will be available from their protest.

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Disappearing Road Medians

Viggie — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:02:17 +0000

Road medians in most narrow & busy streets were suddenly disappearing. After years of adding obstacles to make the public fall in line, the traffic police now seem to be trusting drivers to behave themselves. Are they trusting too much?

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Madurai airport is finally getting in shape

Viggie — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:50:53 +0000

After years of lying staid & proposals on paper, Madurai airport renovation is slowly nearing completion.

photo by Athisaravanan

Official line is that new facilities will be ready by March 2010, but in reality, it may take couple of more months. With these new facilities the much awaited international flight services are expected to be started soon.

Going by the stats given in AAI, (http://www.aai.aero/traffic_news/aug2k9annex3.pdf) Madurai Airport handles about 30,000 passsengers per month. On the number of passengers, it stands 11th among domestic airports. Guess the figures were high during October (Deepavali time). Ticket rates went as high as Rs.11,000 during Deepavali season.

The regular flow as in August can easily cross 50K mark once flights to Singapore, Kualalumpur & Dubai starts from Madurai.

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Central vegetable market is heading in two directions

Viggie — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:19:25 +0000

Well, it’s been a while. But I’m back to write regularly, and committing myself to write at least twice a week!

The shop owners of central vegetable market was building their own central shopping complex outside the city. It’s been mentioned in this blog in detail before.

Last fortnight there was an announcement by Madurai Corporation to build a Vegetable Market complex near Mattuthavani Bus Stand & inagurated a temporary market near Mattuthavani till the complex is ready. [The Hindu]

Two days back, the shop owners own complex was opened near Vilangudi. Not clear whether this one will be officially recognised. We only hope the vegetable prices does not sky rocket in their tussle.

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Madurai Airport development update

Viggie — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:47:15 +0000

It was proceeding in snail’s pace. I have already mentioned about Madurai airport looking the same way since 70s. But finally, it is beginning to change. The construction for a new terminal is going on.

There is a scale model on display at the Airport. The contractors of the new terminal have more details & images on their website. The rendered photos of proposed new terminal is here.

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Update on Meenakshi Amman Temple vehicular access

viggie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:13:25 +0000

South Entrance, originally uploaded by mdsenthil.

This is an update to the post on Beautification of Chitrai Streets around Meenakshi Amman Temple earlier.

Madurai bench of Madras High Court made an interim order today, allowing vehicle access up to the entrance of Chithrai Streets (but not on Chitrai Streets) to allow cars to drop passengers (maximum 15 minutes parking time!). Heavy vehicles are still off-limits for these access roads.

This is a slight improvement for elders visiting the temple, but bound to create traffic snarls in these narrow Amman Sannathi, West Tower and North Tower streets.

Secured parking for residents & shop owners of Chitrai Streets is still a question mark.

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Beautifying around Meenakshi Temple

Viggie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:46:09 +0000

By vijayymdu, shot with 6300 at 2009-01-03

The scene looks very much um… un-Madurai! But, it’s the same Chitrai Streets around Meenakshi Amman Temple. Impressive development indeed. Now vehicles were not allowed in Chitrai Streets and it enhances to the smooth look besides the safety factor.

If you look closely, you can still see the Madurai-ness – sand accumulating along the edges of neatly tiled road as well on the granite footpath. The granite footpath is smooth, but always have noticable spread of sand grains. Maintenance is usually our weak point.

The people living in Chitrai street as well as the shop owners were protesting on block vehicle movement in Chitrai Streets. Authorities should consider priority/reserved parking spaces for them in parallel streets. It will be an inconvenience for them, but should not be a harassment.

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Power cut, power cut, power cut

Viggie — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:32:15 +0000

Yes, three times a day. That’s the ‘current’ situation (pun intended).

A 3-hour cut in the day, a 1 hour cut in the night before getting to sleep and finally another 1 hour cut between mid-night to 6am. It’s now official 5-hours power cut daily. Unprecedented – is the term that comes to mind.

But should we be complaining? or be thankful to Government?

People in rural areas were protesting 9-hour power cuts daily. That too when we had 3-hour power cuts in the city last week.

WATRAP: Over 500 farmers and women staged a road roko here on Friday protesting unannounced powers cut for up to 9 hours every day in the last week. Bus services were crippled and shops remained closed for four hours.

Read more at: http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083060600600.htm

Now that we have 5-hour cut, the rural people might suffer longer. However, the much pampered Chennai city is not affected much. In Chennai, the power cut duration is increased only to one and half hour daily from their previous one hour cut. Perhaps, the official Tamilnadu begins & ends in Chennai and the remaining areas merely a tail that can be wagged as desired.

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Widest & most happening road in Madurai

Viggie — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:48:53 +0000

Tamil historians used to boast that Ancient Madurai under Pandyan kings had wide roads. They truly built a planned city with outer walls etc. But the roads are not that much wide. It pales in comparison to historic roads & roundanas in Mysore (ofcourse Mysore roads seems to be of recent origin while Madurai roads may be thousands of years old, not a real comparison there).

Now to an interesting question. Which one will be widest & most happening road in Madurai?

The wider roads in Madurai are at best four-laners, usually two lanes with a median at the centre. So don’t be disappointed.

The Alagarkovil Road at Goripalayam used to be an important & wide-looking stretch in 80s, but the 80 feet road from KK nagar to Kuruvikaaran Saalai was more wider & comfortable.

It showed signs of developing into a bustling shopping district, but it’s parallel road on Anna Nagar took over.

The Anna nagar main road doesn’t have much platform space, but is four-track. It now has the vibrance of a shopping area, but lack of parking space hinders it to realize its full potential.

All these roads were on the northern side of River Vaigai. On the south there used to be no wide roads to speak off. There is a small stretch between Teppakulam and Nirmala School which can look wide, but it isn’t a happening stretch.

Now, to boast a most happening road, the southern side takes over. The Bye-pass road, with service roads on either side, ample shoulders after wide canals & avenue trees made it a natural choice for shoppers. Sure enough, shops have flocked for this road and is fast becoming an elite shopping & happening place.

Naidu hall, World of Titan, Raymonds, Vimal, Megamart, Sony World, Panasonic Brand shop, Basics and local big shopping names such as Milan, Anandha & Anandha, Madura Shoes… bye-pass road surely overtook all other roads in the city.

The central part of the road needs to be widened. Work on this is moving on snail’s pace. Once the new NH 4-track north-south Golden Corridor bye-pass is completed (hoping for March 2008), much of the container lorry traffic will be reduced, leaving the current bye-pass road to develop into a full shopping area.

It might need to be renamed by then. Guess it will be named after Gandhi (MG Road, reminding bangaluru!) or Anna (we have many identical named areas as in chennai, but we dont have anna salai!).

So Madurai’s most happening & wide road is …. the Bye-pass road (sigh, strange name!)

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