CHENNAI: The terrible condition of roads in Medavakkam, Vengaivasal and Shollinganallur have given their residents a tough time in navigating through the localities. Arterial roads that connect IT hubs in Shollinganallur to Medavakkam are riddled with potholes. The residents hesitate to use their vehicles even to run errands and prefer walking instead.
One of the worst affected stretches is Velachery-Tambaram Main Road in Medavakkam. One of the busiest stretches in south Chennai, it is largely a collection of potholes. The ongoing flyover work on the road has added to the trouble. Because of heavy vehicle movements, stones underneath the top layer of the road get exposed and are scattered all over, making it dangerous for motorists, especially at night. Some of the roads in extremely bad conditions are Babu Nagar 1st Main Road, Perumal Kovil Street, Mambakkam Main Road, Madurai Veeran Street, Velachery-Tambaram Road towards Pallikaranai.
The residents are unhappy that a developing area like Medavakkam still comes under a village panchayat. “The stretch opposite Kumaran theatre on Velachery-Tambaram Main Road is particularly terrible. We do not have good roads and to solve relatively smaller issues like dysfunctional street lights or relaying of roads, I get a response only after sending a petition to the Prime Minister’s cell,” said A Sathik Basha, a resident and member of Arappor Iyakkam.
A senior official from the State highways department said they will immediately tend to the issue. “The flyover which will connect Shollinganallur junction and Mambakkam junction will be opened by March this year. Traffic will ease at Medavakkam once this is opened. For the remaining construction work, we will have to acquire land,” the official said.
Lives lost to bad roads
In December last year, a 27-year-old woman and her daughter came under the wheels of an MTC bus when she tried avoiding a pothole on Velachery-Tambaram Main Road. One of the police officers said that even though case was registered as an accident, she had lost her balance because of the bad road condition. Express visited the spot and found that the stretch was not relaid yet.