It’s a risky ride for motorists on Mount-Medavakkam Road
TNN | Dec 3, 2018, 12.15 AM IST
CHENNAI: Driving on Mount-Medavakkam Road has become a risky affair for motorists as several pockets of the arterial road are filled with potholes leaving them vulnerable to accidents. Uneven surface on a chunk of the 9-km long road stretching from the vehicular subway at Railway Station Road near Alandur to Medavakkam Cross Road is hindering a smooth ride in one of the important roads on the southern suburbs.
Elumalai, an autorickshaw driver, who was plying passengers on Medavakkam Cross Road, said the road had not witnessed any facelift in the recent years. “This road continues to be in the same condition. Only patch works are being done to fix the damaged portions and I have not seen officials relaying the entire road in the last eight years,” he said. With the monsoon having set in, the road has become riskier for motorists, he added.
Several developed residential areas are located on the stretch. Several densely populated residential localities including Puzhuthivakkam, Keelkatalai, Kovilambakkam, Nanmangalam, and Medavakkam, which fall under the purview of Greater Chennai Corporation, municipalities and village panchayats, are located on the either sides of the arterial road. The road maintained by the state highways department has an estimated traffic volume of 40,000 passenger car units everyday.
However, the road, particularly the stretch from Vanuvampet and Echankadu junction is chocked due to the construction of a stormwater drain at snail’s pace on the road. Selvaraj, a resident of Keelkatalai, said the road expansion has been going on for more than a decade, and yet remains incomplete. “Initially, when layouts were carved out about 40 years ago, this road was planned as a 100-feet-road. The encroachments by shopkeepers on both sides of the road has shrunk its space by 50% causing traffic snarls,” he said.
Motorists experience bumpy rides as several sections of the road have been severely damaged with potholes and the ongoing stormwater works has left vehicles to move from bumper-to-bumper even as the major road has transformed into a dust bowl. “Transportation is a herculean task due to acute traffic jams,” said Michel, a two-wheeler rider.
Official sources with the state highways department said the construction of stormwater drains was a major bottleneck in relaying the road, which has been hit due to delay in land acquisition in two spots on the road. “The government has sanctioned Rs 14 crore for widening the stretch from Vanuvampet and Echankadu junction, but it cannot take shape unless the stormwater drain works are completed. The width of the road would be doubled from the existing 7-9 metres to 14-18 metres,” the official added.
TNN | Dec 3, 2018, 12.15 AM IST
CHENNAI: Driving on Mount-Medavakkam Road has become a risky affair for motorists as several pockets of the arterial road are filled with potholes leaving them vulnerable to accidents. Uneven surface on a chunk of the 9-km long road stretching from the vehicular subway at Railway Station Road near Alandur to Medavakkam Cross Road is hindering a smooth ride in one of the important roads on the southern suburbs.
Elumalai, an autorickshaw driver, who was plying passengers on Medavakkam Cross Road, said the road had not witnessed any facelift in the recent years. “This road continues to be in the same condition. Only patch works are being done to fix the damaged portions and I have not seen officials relaying the entire road in the last eight years,” he said. With the monsoon having set in, the road has become riskier for motorists, he added.
Several developed residential areas are located on the stretch. Several densely populated residential localities including Puzhuthivakkam, Keelkatalai, Kovilambakkam, Nanmangalam, and Medavakkam, which fall under the purview of Greater Chennai Corporation, municipalities and village panchayats, are located on the either sides of the arterial road. The road maintained by the state highways department has an estimated traffic volume of 40,000 passenger car units everyday.
However, the road, particularly the stretch from Vanuvampet and Echankadu junction is chocked due to the construction of a stormwater drain at snail’s pace on the road. Selvaraj, a resident of Keelkatalai, said the road expansion has been going on for more than a decade, and yet remains incomplete. “Initially, when layouts were carved out about 40 years ago, this road was planned as a 100-feet-road. The encroachments by shopkeepers on both sides of the road has shrunk its space by 50% causing traffic snarls,” he said.
Motorists experience bumpy rides as several sections of the road have been severely damaged with potholes and the ongoing stormwater works has left vehicles to move from bumper-to-bumper even as the major road has transformed into a dust bowl. “Transportation is a herculean task due to acute traffic jams,” said Michel, a two-wheeler rider.
Official sources with the state highways department said the construction of stormwater drains was a major bottleneck in relaying the road, which has been hit due to delay in land acquisition in two spots on the road. “The government has sanctioned Rs 14 crore for widening the stretch from Vanuvampet and Echankadu junction, but it cannot take shape unless the stormwater drain works are completed. The width of the road would be doubled from the existing 7-9 metres to 14-18 metres,” the official added.
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