CHENNAI: Traffic bottlenecks and unending vehicular queues in and around Padi and Ambattur are all set to reduce drastically with the opening of the much-awaited Padi elevated rotary bridge on Friday. The mega Padi flyover is the latest addition to the city’s infrastructure and an important facility, given the high traffic intensity at this junction. Soon, the road access to Villivakkam through the railway line will be permanently closed.
Though the new facility has enthused the people, the authorities have asked road-users to exercise caution while using the facility during the first few weeks as taking wrong directions may even be fatal.
When this reporter visited the new facility on late Thursday, workers were giving finishing touches to a whole lot of things.
However, barring three high mast lamps on the Anna Nagar stretch, there are no other lamps. Enquiries revealed that even the installed high-mast lamps were not provided power connections by the TNEB. Neither were signboards available on the spot. When the Kathipara grade separator was opened in Guindy last October, the absence of signboards posed a big problem and poor lighting had even resulted in a fatal accident on the third day of the grade seperator’s opening.
When asked, Project Director, National Highways Authority of India, P Srinivas said the work would be fully over before being inaugurated but for some finishing touches. This would be completed soon and shall not hinder traffic. Signboards will be installed and adequate number of private security guards will be posted all along the bridge. On installing lamps, the senior official said the work is likely to be over in a few days. ‘We will use generators to power lamps,’ he said. Srinivas had a special word of caution for roadusers. He wanted the people to go slow on the bridge and be careful not to enter the ‘No Entry’ pathway as vehicles may come onward from the other direction. ‘Be slow and follow signboards on the bridge,’ he said wishing a pleasant drive.
How vehicles should move
Traffic from Red Hills towards Anna Nagar should move at the ground level. Vehicles from Anna Nagar to Padi can take the flyover and proceed left. Traffic from Anna Nagar to Villivakkam must go on the bridge and take right. Traffic from Villivakkam to Padi should go straight along the flyover and vice-versa. Vehicles from Red Hills to Villivakkam must move on the flyover.
The traffic from Redhills towards Padi will have to go up on the flyover and take right. Police said traffic on the bridge may be restricted on the first a few days.
