Citizen Connect: Service lane to CTO Colony reopens after drain work, but residents highlight risks

After closing it to facilitate the constructionof storm water drain nearly six months ago, thePublic Works Department re-laid and reopened service road adjoining the Irumbuliyur-Maduravoyal bypass road, which connects the Mudichur Road with CTO Colony in Tambaram West. While it would help vehicles avoid a detour through the narrow lanes to reach Mudichur Road from CTO Colony, motorists and residents here are irked over the erratic way the work has been done.

The service lane has a concrete top now, but the subway linking CTO Colony with Lakshmipuram on the other side of the bypass road has been ignored. It is dotted with potholes, with the recent rains making it a muddy pool. Also, gravel is dumped on one side of the subway, which turns it risky for motorists especially during the night because thereare no streetlights.

“The subway has been in an abandoned state for more than a year. We were hoping that subway will also be re-laid along with the service lane, but it did not happen. Pedestrians can no longer use the subway as they have to jump over potholes to reach Lakshmipuram, and it is dangerous for motorists, too,” said Kumarasamy, one of the residents of Pandian Nagar.

Not just the subway, even the work on the service lane has not been completed properly, says another resident. “There storm water drain between the bypass road and the service road has not been covered. The drain along the stretch is open, posing great danger to the children and vehicles passing by. In the night, people may not know that there is a deep pit on the side of the road as there is no street light on the stretch,” said Rajkumar, another resident.

According to him, there was a barricade at the corner that was knocked down by unknown vehicle. “Also, the point where the service lane meets the Mudichur Road has not been finished well, resulting in some vehicle getting stuck at the opening,” he added.

When contacted, PWD officials said that the steps are under way to install reflectors along the storm water drain.