Porur flyover puts pedestrians at risk
By Venkatesan Parthasarathy | Express News Service | Published: 29th June 2017 08:50 AM |
Students cross Mount Poonamallee Road near Porur Police Station signal on Tuesday. The absence of speed breakers means it’s risky business | D Sampathkumar
CHENNAI: It took 7 long years for the Porur flyover to open and on Tuesday, a schoolgirl, studying at St Johns Matriculation School in New Colony, took an equal number of minutes, if not more, to cross the Mount Poonamallee Road on which the flyover has come up. The flyover has reduced traffic congestion at the nearby Porur junction to a considerable extent, but its design has ignored pedestrians.
With vehicles going towards Ramapuram speeding down from the flyover unrestricted, crossing the Porur Police Station (PPS) signal is proving a dangerous task for pedestrians.
According to locals, this area has 4-5 schools in the vicinity, where a majority of students are required to cross the Mount Poonamallee Road to board an MTC bus or other modes of public transport. “After the flyover was inaugurated, the PPS signal was shut down and temporary barricades were placed to prevent vehicles from crossing, which would have otherwise led to the piling up of traffic,” a traffic policeman told Express.
But this situation has caused immense hardship to pedestrians, as they are unable to cross the road without the intervention of policemen. “There are plans to install a pedestrian-only signal but, even then, we have to regulate traffic,” said the cop.
Locals, who agree the flyover has led to less waiting time at the Porur junction, worry about its effect on PPS signal. “The PPS signal must be closed down permanently and a pedestrian foot overbridge should be set up,” said Amal Raj, an auto driver from a nearby stand.
As a temporary solution, D Ranjitha, a resident of Bharath Nagar, suggested that authorities should construct speed breakers near the base of the flyover. She said the weekend saw less traffic than usual. “Vehicles proceed at a fast pace on the flyover. My main concern is that pedestrians have been ignored. There must be speed breakers near the PPS signal just like it is at Usman Road flyover in T Nagar near Ranganathan Street,” she said.
Factfile
The flyover is at the junction of Mount Poonamallee Road-Arcot Road in Porur
With two lanes on each side, it cost D54 crore
It measures 505 metres in length and 17.20 metres in width
Work started in 2010 but was stalled as there was difficulty in shifting an underground Metro Water line
The Highways Department of TN was forced to change the flyover’s design in 2014
By Venkatesan Parthasarathy | Express News Service | Published: 29th June 2017 08:50 AM |
Students cross Mount Poonamallee Road near Porur Police Station signal on Tuesday. The absence of speed breakers means it’s risky business | D Sampathkumar
CHENNAI: It took 7 long years for the Porur flyover to open and on Tuesday, a schoolgirl, studying at St Johns Matriculation School in New Colony, took an equal number of minutes, if not more, to cross the Mount Poonamallee Road on which the flyover has come up. The flyover has reduced traffic congestion at the nearby Porur junction to a considerable extent, but its design has ignored pedestrians.
With vehicles going towards Ramapuram speeding down from the flyover unrestricted, crossing the Porur Police Station (PPS) signal is proving a dangerous task for pedestrians.
According to locals, this area has 4-5 schools in the vicinity, where a majority of students are required to cross the Mount Poonamallee Road to board an MTC bus or other modes of public transport. “After the flyover was inaugurated, the PPS signal was shut down and temporary barricades were placed to prevent vehicles from crossing, which would have otherwise led to the piling up of traffic,” a traffic policeman told Express.
But this situation has caused immense hardship to pedestrians, as they are unable to cross the road without the intervention of policemen. “There are plans to install a pedestrian-only signal but, even then, we have to regulate traffic,” said the cop.
Locals, who agree the flyover has led to less waiting time at the Porur junction, worry about its effect on PPS signal. “The PPS signal must be closed down permanently and a pedestrian foot overbridge should be set up,” said Amal Raj, an auto driver from a nearby stand.
As a temporary solution, D Ranjitha, a resident of Bharath Nagar, suggested that authorities should construct speed breakers near the base of the flyover. She said the weekend saw less traffic than usual. “Vehicles proceed at a fast pace on the flyover. My main concern is that pedestrians have been ignored. There must be speed breakers near the PPS signal just like it is at Usman Road flyover in T Nagar near Ranganathan Street,” she said.
Factfile
The flyover is at the junction of Mount Poonamallee Road-Arcot Road in Porur
With two lanes on each side, it cost D54 crore
It measures 505 metres in length and 17.20 metres in width
Work started in 2010 but was stalled as there was difficulty in shifting an underground Metro Water line
The Highways Department of TN was forced to change the flyover’s design in 2014
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