Citizen Connect: Residents vie for space as Velachery-Tambaram Rd expansion drags on

As the main road connects Tambaram to Velachery and areas like Pallikaranai and Medavakkam, the road witnesses heavy traffic. According to T Viswanathan, convener, Chitlapakkam Residents’ Association Coordination Committee, the stretch from the Selaiyur police station to Camp Road sees congestion, especially during peak traffic hours.

“We have been calling for the work to begin for the last seven years. They started it about four years ago, but it is still going on. Due to the heavy traffic flow during peak hours, residents avoid taking the road. The congestion during peak time extends for hours in the area,” he said. Encroachments in the area lead to a further shrinking of the road, resulting in more congestion.

In a reply to the RTI that Viswanathan filed a few months ago, removal of trees and encroachments, and court cases surrounding the acquisition of land were cited as the reasons for the delay. A grade separator has been proposed along the road from Kamarajapuram Alpha School to Selaiyur Sankara School, which is currently under way.

The 16-km stretch is also devoid of pavement for pedestrians, which forces many to walk on the road despite facing the risk of being hit by the vehicles that pass by. “There should be footpaths and also zebra crossing for the pedestrians to cross the road. The interest that the authorities showed in the case of areas like T Nagar must also be shown here,” he said.

“Due to the presence of multiple commercial establishments here, there are many cars parked along the road. Despite having designated parking spaces, people park their vehicles on the road. This causes further congestion and more problems for pedestrians,” said Viswanathan.

Viswanathan added that some areas have been widened along the stretch. “We must laud the efforts that have already been done. However, this issue is a cause for stress for residents and thus we urge for the quick completion of the work.”

When asked, officials told DT Next that the cause for delay was due to acquisition of land, and assured that the work would be completed at the earliest.