Citizen Connect: Median on one-way road poses threat to motorists on Anna Salai

Riding on Anna Salai near LIC Building has turned dangerous as the State Highway Department has left a makeshift median, which was put into place during Metrorail works and is yet to be removed. The median is unnecessary as only one-way traffic is being allowed on the stretch.

The median that starts from nowhere and ends abruptly after a few meters is putting the life of motorists, especially two-wheeler riders, at risk. “I was following a van and did not know that there was a median here. It was a close shave when I tried to overtake the van. The officials should at least erect a warning board,” K Manikandan, a resident of Kodambakkam said.

Not only Manikandan, other motorists, who use the stretch occasionally, are also oblivious to the presence of the median and are forced to swerve away suddenly from the median, putting other motorists in danger.

He added that he had not seen any temporary median on any one-way road. “It would be understandable if the officials were delaying the removal of the median if it were permanently built into the road. But this one here is temporary and it can easily be lifted out of the way,” he said.

Employees of nearby commercial establishments said that the officials put the median during the Metrorail works and failed to remove it even after the works are completed. “It was meant to separate the space where works were ongoing and the space for vehicular movement. Due to the median, the stretch remains a bottleneck. The officials should remove the median immediately,” an employee said.

The situation has become worse as major establishments such as LIC, DTCP (Directorate of Town and Country Planning) and State Bank of India are located in the area. When contacted, a Highway Department official said that the median would be rearranged soon.