CHENNAI: The five-kilometre long Thiruvottriyur High Road has been left in neglect ever since the metro rail work started a few years ago. Most part of the road wears a rumpty look full of potholes and bumps causing inconvenience to commuters.
Except for the stretch in Tondiarpet where the offices of Joint Commissioner of Police and zonal corporation is located, most part of the road from Old Washermenpet to Thiruvottriyur, the bitumen has disappeared due to rain.
When the road submerges into water during monsoon, the potholes become invisible, causing life-risk to commuters.
More than four-wheelers, it is the share-auto drivers and two-wheelers who feel the heat. ‘‘Since share-autos are three-wheelers, changes are high that it will topple,’’ said share-auto driver Jaya Suriya, who plies between Parrys and Theradi.
The TH Road is vital in connecting commuters to important places mainly hospitals like Apollo, Stanley, RSRM, and CSI Rainy to name a few. As frequencies of buses have become less, share autos are their primary choice. ‘‘Pregnant women and old-people now are weary of share autos because of the road condition. This has affected our revenue too,’’ added Suriya.
Meanwhile, compared to other high roads of Chennai which are either four or six lane, the TH road is only two lane. Since the road alongside the median is in very bad condition, vehicles use it as a parking spot. It has highly reduced the width of the road and even after CMRL work has been finished in certain stretches, roads have not been relaid.
E Dinesh, an MTC bus driver along the route, said since the excessive vehicles parked on the road hinders causes difficulty for buses plying through the stretch. ‘‘If a bus starts at Thiruvottriyur (Tvt), no vehicle can over-take the bus for the next five-kilometres due to road’s narrowness. It leads to vehicles trailing behind causing traffic jam in chain,’’ he said.
Lakhs of passengers ply through the bus routes 101 (Tvt to Poonamalle) , 159 (Tvt to Thiruverkadu), 159 A (Tvt to CMBT), 159B (Tollgate to CMBT), 56 (Ennore to Mint) and 6 D (Tollgate to Thiruvanmiyur) every day. Even outside the Thiruvottriyur bus terminus, the road is unlaid.
‘‘Even when there is a huge patronage, officials have not thought of even patching the road, laments bus drivers,’’ lamented Dinesh.
More than a thousand school children ply through the road as well. When Express took ride through the high road for ten-kilometres on both sides, some localities where the road was in battered condition was Tondiarpet, Kaladipet and Thiruvottriyur.
‘‘Unlike heavy motor vehicles, two-wheelers have the least shock absorbent. Lower back pain and joint pain have become part of my life now,’’ said motorist P Thanigaivel of Old Washermenpet, a State Bank of India employee.
Express also noticed that as the roads are bumpy throughout, the metro water lorries in bad condition, tend to spill more water than usual when they get into potholes and bumps. This also could lead to an enormous amount of wastage especially when the city has just recovered from water crisis.
While the stretch between Tollgate and Thiruvottriyur has been handed over to CMRL for metro work, the rest of the road is maintained by highways.
‘‘Whenever metro-rail median construction is completed, the road has been restored. In places where it is not completed, road restoration work is progressive,’’ said a CMRL official.
Contrary to how the road looks, State Highways officials said regular patch-work of road has been happening upto Tollgate from Old Washermenpet. ‘‘Whenever we get complaints, we patch up the place to avoid bumps,’’ said an official.