Unauthorised median openings to be sealed

The officials went on to say that since village residents in many areas break the medians to create access for their convenience, such activity results in accidents. Even the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to conduct inspections for such breaking of medians on National Highways. 

SH officials said that the recent incident, in which nine persons died, when the driver of a mini-van tried to make a U-turn through an opener on Chennai-Bengaluru highway in Kanchipuram district, woke up the officials to monitor the such openings in the median. 

“Such unauthorised openers are mostly seen in suburbs and villages near SH or NH. Even barricades are placed in some openers for not accessing wrong route, but villagers deliberately remove them to avoid travelling a long distance to take a U-turn,” said a senior official of SH. 

S Mohanram, a civic activist and president of Consumer Protection Council, Thiruninravur, said, “Even, the city has more number of such openers, through which vehicles pass and it creates traffic jam” He added that SH, NH and police should join hands to put an end to this issue. 

A senior official of State Highways said that they have received communication from the government to inspect and identify such unauthorised openers in the highways. 

“We will instruct concerned district level engineers to make inspections and put sign boards in all the openers. Accordingly, vehicles can take U-turn in particular places on the roads,” the official said. The police department will also monitor movement of vehicles and action will be taken against violators, he added.