CHENNAI: Just as the motorists and pedestrians were heaving a sigh of relief after the widening work of the three-kilometre stretch between Vanuvampettai and Kilkattalai on the Medavakkam Main Road was completed recently, portions of the newly-laid road have been dug up again for stormwater drain work.
After every 200 metres, motorists are greeted by huge deep trenches that occupy almost half of the road, causing traffic congestion during peak hours.
One of the busiest stretches in the city, Medavakkam Main Road links city suburbs including Madipakkam, Puzhuthivakkam, Ullagaram and Kovilambakkam with the metropolitan areas.
“The work on Vanuvampettai-Kilkattalai stretch began a couple of years ago and there has been a lot of inconvenience ever since. Just when we thought the widened roads will ease traffic, they dug the roads again. Moreover, there are no barricades or danger signs on the road. Coupled with poor illumination, it poses a major risk of accidents,” said Jason Raj, who runs a departmental store in the area.
With a movie theatre in the stretch, the area is frequented by motorists late night. Residents of Madipakkam say they have already witnessed a couple of accidents, last week.
“The underground work started without any prior notice. One morning, we woke up to trenches and broken roads everywhere. A couple of days back, a two-wheeler skid and almost fell inside the trench. The driver suffered a head injury and was admitted to hospital. The roads have become so narrow that when two buses come from opposite sides, they block the entire road,” said R Vijayalakshmi, a resident of Madipakkam.
Moreover, encroachments on the path has added to their woes. “Parked vans and trucks dot either side of the road. Few encroachers leave their makeshift stalls on the road at night. There have been many incidents in the past six months where a motorist either rammed into the electricity pole or one of these stalls during the night,” said a shop owner on the condition of anonymity.
The widening of the Medavakkam Main Road between St Thomas Mount station and Koot Road junction near Quaid-E-Milleth Government College (totally nine kilometres) is undertaken by the State Highways Department at the cost of `14 crore. The concerned officials could not be contacted despite several attempts.