5 years on, Tiruvottiyur High Road at Tondiarpet still closed

CHENNAI: More than a year after the opening of the Chennai Metro Rail Phase 1 extension line from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar, a 1-km stretch of Tiruvottiyur High Road at Tondiarpet, which was closed for the Metro construction 5 years ago, is yet to be restored and continues to remain closed for traffic.

Due to closure of the stretch from Tondiarpet H3 police station to Tondiarpet bus depot, buses have been diverted to interior roads which results in longer duration of travel and traffic snarl during peak hours.

The stretch was closed in mid-2017 for the construction of the Metro Rail line – from underground at Tondiarpet station to elevated at New Washermenpet station. “In South Chennai, wherever Metro work was completed, roads were restored, and normal traffic was allowed. But North Chennai is completely ignored. Even a year after opening of the Metro extension line, the TH road stretch is still closed,” laments AVS Marimuthu, co-convenor of North Chennai People’s Right Federation.

He adds that when they enquired, officials told them that the road would be re-laid and opened for traffic after drainage works are completed. “Metro Water completed the drainage works a month ago but the road has not been restored,” he says.

A petty shop owner avers that all the traders who ran their shops have incurred heavy losses due to the long closure of the roads.

K Shanmugham, a resident of Kaladipet, said that buses plying to Tiruvottiyur via Washermenpet were diverted to the interior road from Tondiarpet police station and entering the TH Road before Tollgate.

“We used to cross the stretch in 10 minutes before the Metro work. Now due to diversion it takes over 20 minutes,” he points out.

A senior Highways department official said that Metro Water’s work delayed the TH road redevelopment works. “Metro Water did not complete its portion of work and it led to delay. Now all the work is completed. We’ll soon float tender to relay the road and open it for traffic at the earliest,” the official added.