CHENNAI: After four-way traffic was allowed at the Nandanam junction towards the end of July, traffic snarls have become worse, choking Chamiers Road, Anna Salai and Venkatanarayana Road. The Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) made the stretch two-way in 2012 to lay the Metro lines below Anna Salai.
A couple of months after CMRL completed the work, in 2018, it handed over the stretch to the traffic police. Previously, the vehicles on Venkatanarayana Road had to take a detour to South Boag Road and Pondy Bazaar Road or take Burkit Road and Mooparappan Salai before reaching Anna Salai. But now motorists can directly enter Anna Salai.
Similarly, vehicles coming from Chamiers Road and heading to Venkatnarayana Road had to take a left at the Nandanam junction, go on Anna Salai and take a U-turn at CIT Nagar Third Main Road. Now, vehicles from Chamiers Road are allowed to head straight towards Venkatnarayana Road or take a right towards Anna Salai or left to Saidapet.
“The vehicle density is very different compared to what it was in 2011. According to official records, as many as 45 lakh two-wheelers are plying in the city, apart from buses, cars and share autos. After four-way traffic was allowed, the narrow roads have not been able to hold all the traffic,” said R Lakshmanan, who works in a bank at T Nagar. A few motorists suggest the traffic block could also be because vehicles proceeding towards Anna Salai from Cenotaph Road are not allowed to take a direct right. They have to go till Nandanam junction and take a U-turn, thereby adding to the traffic snarls.
K Adithya, a regular motorist said, “Ideally, now that the distance has been reduced, we should be reaching faster. However, it is taking double the time to cross the stretch after it has been made four-way.”
When contacted, an official of the Chennai City Traffic Police said, “We are looking at making traffic alternations in other roads to ease the traffic here.”