CHENNAI: From dawn to dusk, the cacophony of vehicle horns, stuttering engine sounds and commuters’ tempers at breaking point fill the air at Basin Bridge. In the wake of the demolition of the centuries-old Elephant Gate Bridge, the dream of mobility has turned this stretch into a nightmare of immobility and groaning traffic. Almost every hour.
On November 16, Express had reported that after a two-year delay, the demolition of the Elephant Gate Bridge, finally began on November 15. After the digging work was flagged off, new traffic diversion plans were made and vehicles heading to Demellows Road from Wall Tax Road were enabled to use the Basin Bridge or take a 2-km detour through Wall Tax Road (Central Station), take a right to Raja Muthiah and come back to Choolai. Vehicles from Demellows Road heading to Wall Tax Rod or Mint were also allowed to use the Basin Bridge.
The diversion, unfortunately, has spiked traffic congestion at the suburban stretch. With hundreds of vehicles plying on the route to areas like Vepery, Perumabur and Central Railway Station every day, the anatomy of this congestion has made them stand choked on the bridge. “At least 10,000 vehicles pass through the bridge during peak hours. It is beyond its capacity,” said a traffic police.
Commuters say that apart from private vehicles, share autorickshaws add to the existing traffic. A few months back, new diversion plans were made by making the Basin Bridge Junction one-way. Express reported in July on how this diversion had failed. The vehicles from Wall Tax Road could not go directly to the Cochrane Basin (CB) Road to Korukkupet.
Also, all vehicles from Mint, heading to the Basin Bridge have to take a longer route, entering Wall Tax Road and again joining the Basin Bridge Junction.
While the traffic police officials have no solution to this, they asserted that this inconvenience is temporary. Officials said there are not many options to look at, at the moment. “Only when the construction of the Elephant Gate Bridge is over, vehicles can start using the normal route. Till then, this diversion will remain.”