‘Stalin’s action hopeful, but road repair a long-pending demand’

CHENNAI: Even though the residents of various localities in the city are happy that the Chief Minister instructed officials to expedite the road construction works, they say that they have been raising the issue of damaged roads and delays in repairing for long.

In the case of Arcot Road between Vadapalani and Porur, which will be resurfaced based on Chief Minister’s order, residents are sceptical if the existing height of the road will be maintained. Another issue is the ongoing pillar construction in the stretch by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), due to which only one-third width of the entire road can be resurfaced.

“Arcot Road between Vadapalani and Porur is currently in a total mess with potholes. A small stretch of the road has been resurfaced recently near the lane leading to the Vadapalani Murugan Temple to facilitate a smooth commute. The height of the existing road was increased with a layer of wet mix, but it has gone up by nearly one and a half feet. We are wondering if the height of the entire stretch would be increased once the CMRL work is completed,” said civic activist Raghu Kumar.

Residents also complained of chaotic traffic on the road due to multiple diversions and one-way traffic. They said crossing the road is difficult and CMRL workers, responsible for regulating the traffic, are absent, especially in the evening.

Meanwhile, Perambur residents lamented that the CMRL works near the Ayanavaram Bus Terminus on Anderson Road is leading to heavy traffic in the area.

Due to the Metro works, Traffic from Medavakkam Tank Road to Constable Road has been blocked and is diverted through the narrow Pilkington Road. However, one can see commuters using the one-way road for two-way driving due to the absence of traffic regulations.

“All the narrow arterial bus route roads that overlap with the CMRL tracks should be widened. A soft glove approach while dealing with blatant road encroachments is a matter of grave concern. Instead of focussing on building an infrastructure that would serve our immediate requirements, it would be best if our agencies could plan to put in place a fully functional basic infrastructure that lasts for the next 25 to 30 years,” said a Perambur resident.

The Public said that they are putting up with the hardships believing that their commute will improve once the Metro works and roads are ready. The residents of Velachery, irked by the ongoing construction works, complained of roads covered in debris after the construction works.

“A Metro Water line broke on Tambaram-Velachery Main road. They repaired it, but the road is yet to be re-laid. It has been damaged since July, this year. The place has become a huge bottleneck for traffic and the residents of our apartment, which is on this road, face inconvenience while crossing the road. It is going to be dangerous during the rains and there is no other alternative route for us. All vehicles going towards Velachery Railway Station, Grand Mall, and Inner Ring Road have to go through this route,” says Ahalya, Secretary of Regal Palm Garden Apartment Owners Association. Despite being Chief Minister’s constituency, Kolathur is not untouched by the lags in civic works. The residents complain of various roads being dug up for stormwater drainage construction, roads relaying or TNEB works, but re-laid after.

“Kadappa Road is one of the main roads in the area connecting various localities, but it has been dug up at multiple places. We are hoping that these works will get over sometime soon, but the situation has been stagnant. TVS Nagar is another example of dilapidated roads in our area, which also gets flooded even during mild showers, “ said K Suresh, a resident of Kolathur.