CHENNAI: With floodwaters receding across the city, the issue of pothole-ridden roads has surfaced, with several stretches in dire need of repairs. As major road works were halted just before the monsoon, the Greater Chennai Corporation had directed zonal officials to carry out patchwork on damaged roads as and when the need arises.
However, pothole-ridden roads still make driving an adventure activity for commuters. The main road near Velachery, between Vijayanagar Bus Stand and Phoenix Mall, is one of the busiest stretches in the city. Yet, the road is ridden with potholes, especially at two major intersections.
“The road was laid a few months ago, but the potholes cropped up within no time. No patchwork was done on these roads,” said Ilayaraaja, a resident of Dhandeeswaram. Commuters have also flagged the quality of roads as several potholes have appeared on newly laid stretches.
In Thiruvanmiyur’s Kamaraj Nagar, a new road was laid just weeks before the rains hit. Now, there are several potholes, which have appeared after Cyclone Michaung. “The roads were laid overnight, in a hasty manner, and could not withstand the rain,” said RK Ajith Kumar, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur.
The intersection near Tamil Nadu Music College in RA Puram is also a nightmare for commuters, with potholes dotting the entire stretch. It is the same story on Greenways Road, RK Mutt Road and Durgabai Deshmukh Road near the LB Road flyover in Adyar.
Ramcharan M, a resident of Adyar said the scenario is similar in these areas after every monsoon. “Even the patchwork done on these roads is of poor quality. The corporation should assess the quality of the road works and the subsequent patch works,” he said.
Meanwhile, zonal officials faulted the ongoing metro works for the bad quality of roads. Corporation commissioner J Radhakrishnan had directed zonal officers to address both old and new potholes, especially in RA Puram, Adyar and Greenways Road.
“Contract workers were awarded for fixing potholes before monsoon. The work delay was due to the large-scale relief and rescue works, and officials were directed to fix the roads at the earliest,” he added.