CHENNAI: The arterial stretch connecting Adambakkam and Guindy, the City Link Road used by at least 40,000 people every day is plagued with several issues. Battered roads, garbage disposal on either side of the road and rampant encroachments are a few to mention.“Commuters are having a harrowing time on this stretch as they are stranded for hours during peak time.
It has been over five years since the issue got severe and I have not seen one vehicle being towed by the authorities,” complained Priya Darshini, a long-time resident of Adambakkam.The stretch is used by the residents of Adambakkam, Velachery, St Thomas Mount and the areas in the vicinity to reach Guindy Race Course and vice versa. “About two years ago, half of the stretch was dug to lay sewage pipelines and was not relaid properly, resulting in a lot of potholes along the stretch.
Metro Water lorries get stuck in the trenches at times. It is very dangerous at night,” said Raja, an autorickshaw driver in the area.Also, buses frequent the area. With encroachments narrowing the path, two buses on the opposite sides cannot cross at the same time. The junction that connects the road towards St. Thomas Mount railway station and the bus stop is always chaotic. Accidents, too, are common.
“A cemetery is located near the bus stop and all the vans used to transport the corpses are parked on the road, adding to the chaos. The irony is that a police patrol vehicle is stopped right in front of it every evening,” said Vanitha Mohan, another resident.
Garbage is also strewn and the trash bins are left in the middle of the road after the waste is cleared by the conservancy workers, complain residents. “During rains, the garbage adds to the slush causing the motorists to skid. Also, there is an unbearable stench,” said Vanitha. When contacted, the traffic cops in the area said they warn the encroachers in regular intervals, and that the order to tow vehicles must come from higher authorities.