Traffic snarls were the order of the day on slick Chennai roads on Wednesday after heavy overnight rains lashed the city. Motorists had a torrid time manoeuvring the potholed and waterlogged stretches while office-goers were squeezed for time reaching their destinations.
Traffic was particularly bad during the early hours of Wednesday where waterlogging in some roads threw traffic completely out of gear, ensuring motorists’ suffer more than their usual share on other days, during the peak hours. Police sources said traffic snarls were reported in arterial roads including the 100-foot stretch from Koyembedu, leading to Vadapalani and back, Nungambakkam High Road, EVR Salai and some parts of Anna Salai.
Techies and others heading for work to the IT corridors in Taramani too had a tough time reaching their office. Traffic police said order was restored only later in the day. Nungambakkam High Road choked with traffic and it affected the adjacent places like Gemini flyover and areas leading to Chetpet.
“Such huge traffic on a day when the schools and colleges are closed. Imagine what if they were open,” wonders Karthik, who was waiting in his car to cross Nungambakkam to reach his office. Traffic moved in a snail’s pace along CIT Nagar due to water stagnation and it had a ripple effect in areas like Valluvarkottam, Saidapet and Guindy.
The rains left many parts of Mogappair West and KK Nagar inundated with knee-deep water. Those who got back home after night shifts had to cautiously cross the streets in their two-wheelers apprehending running into a pothole and skidding off the vehicle. Mogappair East, however, remained largely unaffected. Metro rail construction works had left the usually dusty roads, slushy and slippery.
Trees uprooted
Police said three trees were uprooted in K K Nagar alone, while one each were reported from Royapettah, Egmore and Mylapore. Tree branches fell on the roads in some places. A car and a load auto were damaged in one such incident at Bharathidasan Colony in KK Nagar.
In some places, residents and passersby themselves cleared the obstructions, Corporation workers helped remove fallen trees as policemen diverted traffic near Egmore and KK Nagar. The workers also pumped out water from some subways.
The slushy roads remained the same in many parts, including Anna Arch leading to Anna Nagar roundtana where metro rail construction works were on.
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