Land acquisition, legal hurdles delay work

Madurai: The construction of the main arm of the Goripalayam flyover has been delayed due to pending land acquisition near The American College, with a few property owners moving to court against the process. While the piers have been installed, slab work is on hold.
A senior official from the state highways department said that the pier work for the main arm began six months ago, but further progress depends on acquiring necessary land parcels. "Slab work cannot proceed as one side of the road needs to be blocked. The unacquired land parcels are needed to create a service lane to divert traffic," the official said.
With a few property owners approaching the court, the legal hurdle will further stall the process, raising concerns over the project's completion within the proposed deadline of Dec 2025. "With only around 30% of the work being completed, further delay will make it difficult to finish the project on time," the official added.