CHENNAI: Despite being a toll road, the 9.5 km national highway from Madhavaram junction to Padiyanallur of the Chennai-Kolkata national highway (NH-16) always faces heavy traffic congestion owing to junctions every 500m and poor upkeep. The dense residential and commercial areas on both sides exacerbates the situation.
Besides, the Madhvaram - Nallur section could not be widened to six lanes as relocating utilities like electrical cables and water pipelines is a monumental task, according to the NHAI. The 33.5km NH from the Nallur toll plaza towards the Tamil Nadu -Andhra Pradesh border is six lanes.
According to motorists and truckers heading to Vijayawada, Tada, and Tirupati, it takes 60-95 minutes to traverse 10km section owing to numerous junctions where residents frequently cross the road. Despite toll fees being collected, the road shows signs of neglect and lack of attention. The section carries 1.4 lakh vehicles a day.
The 9.5 km section from Madhavaram to Nallur contains 11 major and minor junctions. “Local vehicles including trucks enter highway from both sides every 500m, forcing the traffic on NH carriageway to move at a snail’s pace during peak hours. Plans to make minor junctions one-way couldn’t be implemented due to local resistance. On July 27, the highway and other roads were paralysed from 8am till 10pm,” said a traffic police officer.
S Suresh Babu, president of Billukuppam Village Welfare Association, said the Madhavaram-Red Hills section remains congested throughout the day, making it difficult for residents of Gummidipundi, Alamadhi, Ponneri, and nearby villages to access the city. “Other roads linked with the highway, including the Chennai-Tiruvallur highway, experience severe traffic during peak hours, with vehicle queues extending three to four km,” he said.
Following frequent representations from business groups, truckers’ associations, and residents, NHAI proposed a 10.5km six-lane elevated corridor from Madhavaram junction, with a ramp connecting Chennai bypass with the outer ring road, at a cost of `1,700 crore. Although proposed in 2018, the project was stalled due to disagreements between the state government and NHAI over waiving royalties for minerals like gravel and earth used in construction and levy of state GST on construction materials. While the state government agreed to waive the mineral royalties in June last year, it refused to waive the state component of the 9% GST on construction materials.
According to NHAI Chennai officials, the detailed project report is in its final stages and action will be taken once approved by the ministry. Meanwhile, `38 crore was allocated for relaying the 9.6km section from Madhavaram to Red Hills and building stormwater drains. “The drain construction works have already commenced,” said an official.
“It is illegal to collect toll fees on the Madhavaram-Red Hills section without widening the road to six lanes. The toll fee should only apply to the 35.5 km stretch that has already been widened to six lanes,” R Rajan Kumar, a trucker, added.