Madurai: In a major infrastructure boost for the city, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed Velunachiyar Flyover at the Melamadai Junction. The project, built at a cost of ₹150 crore, aims to significantly reduce traffic congestion along the KK Nagar–Anna Nagar corridor on the Sivagangai Road.
The Melamadai Junction has long been a traffic bottleneck due to heavy vehicle movement, prompting the Highways Department to initiate the flyover construction. The foundation stone for the project was laid by the Chief Minister on October 30, 2023.
The flyover, now completed as a four-lane structure, stretches for 950 metres. Each side features a 7.5-metre-wide main road, supplemented by service roads, a roundabout beneath the structure, and 1.5-metre drainage systems on both sides. The project has been named in honour of freedom fighter Veeramangai Velunachiyar.
The Chief Minister arrived at the venue around 9:50 a.m., inaugurated the flyover, and walked a short distance on the new structure before proceeding to attend the Global Investors Meet event.
A number of ministers and officials were present at the event, including Ministers Nehru, Velu, Sathur Ramachandran, Thangam Thennarasu, Moorthy, Thiyagarajan, Periyakaruppan, Raju Kanappan, MPs Thangathamizhselvan and Manickam Tagore, District Collector Praveen Kumar, and senior officials from the Highways Department.
Engineers, project contractors—including representatives from Nates India—and local MLAs Thalapathi, Venkatesan, and Bhoominathan also took part in the inauguration ceremony.
The opening of the Velunachiyar Flyover is expected to streamline traffic movement and offer a smoother commute for thousands of Madurai residents and daily travellers.