Tambaram-Velachery Road, a commuter’s nightmare
In addition, many well-known educational institutions, and complexes are situated on this stretch
Representative Image (Photo/Sam Augustine)
CHENNAI: People face hardships every day because of the traffic on the Tambaram-Velachery Road which is one of the busiest roads in the suburbs. The 16 km stretch has turned into a nightmare for the regular commuters.
The road becomes more important as all the vehicles from the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road are diverted to it during the VVIPs’ visit to Chennai airport by road.
The areas like Selaiyur, Camp Road, Sembakkam, Vengaivasal, Mambakkam, and Medavakkam are some of the fastest-growing villages in the suburbs of Chennai and all these areas are connected via the Tambaram-Velachery Road.
In addition, many well-known educational institutions, and complexes are situated on this stretch. There is a surge in the construction of many private apartments in the locality and people from many places move to the suburbs for a peaceful life, However, the bad roads and traffic turn out to be a hassle for the commuters.
In 1992, the highways department converted the Tambaram-Velachery Road into a two-way lane and later after several years, it was converted into a four-lane road to curb the traffic. However, the land acquisition for reconstruction is delayed because of the discrepancies between the revenue department and the highways department and the road is still functioning as two lanes in some places.
Observing that the bad condition of the road is turning out to be a nightmare for the motorists, Charles, a regular commuter from Selaiyur said, “People who are new to the place will never know how dangerous the road is. During travelling, I witness at least one person falling from the bike or scooter every day travel I can see at least a person falling from the bike or scooter.” The people never know where the death trap is as the potholes get filled with water during the rains and the motorists face high risks, he added.
A year ago, the department stated that the land acquisition for widening the Tambaram-Velachery Road into six lanes is in the final stage. However, the work has not been completed even after a year and the stretch between Medavakkam and East Tambaram has not been widened yet. The commuters said that it takes at least an hour to reach Tambaram railway station from Medavakkam because of the traffic during the peak hours.
When contacted, an official from the Highways Department said that there was a delay but the acquisition is in the final stage and the revenue department expediting the process. The official assured that the acquisition would be completed soon and the road widening work is likely to start in the next few months. Thereafter, people can travel on the six-lane without much hassle, he added.
