
CHENNAI: Rush hour congestion at Adyar, Santhome and RA Puram junctions on Durgabai Deshmukh Road will soon be a thing of the past as the state highways department is set to build a new greenfield road at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore.
This three-lane, unidirectional road will allow vehicles from Mylapore and Santhome to reach the Thiru Vi Ka Bridge in Adyar without entering Durgabai Deshmukh Road. The proposed road starts at the intersection of DGS Dhinakaran Road and RK Mutt Road and ends at the bridge in Adyar passing through land parcels close to Government Music college, MGR Janaki Arts and science colleges.
The contract agreement has been signed between the highways and a road building company recently and civil works are expected to begin in a few weeks.
Once completed, the median on Durgabai Deshmukh Road will be removed and the road will be converted into a one-way route for traffic moving from Adyar toward RA Puram and Abiramapuram. Additionally, vehicles from Mylapore, Santhome and RA Puram will be permitted to use the new road to reach Adyar.
Officials said the 630-meter-long road will start near the Pet Animal Care Centre,operated by the Animal Husbandry department situated 50 meters before Government Music College and end at the embankment of the Thiru Vi Ka Bridge passing through land adjacent to MGR Janaki College.
At present, the section of Music College Road, stretching from the arch to the entrance of the college compound, is solely used by vehicles accessing the college and the Pet Care Centre. According to the proposed plan, the arch will be relocated closer to the college entrance and the Pet Care Centre will also be moved.
The new road will begin at the entrance near the arch, turn right toward the Pet Care Centre, and extend up to the bunds of the Adyar River near the Thiru Vi Ka Bridge. It will pass through land parcels adjacent to the MGR Janaki College, Music College and the river,” a state highways official said. The new road will be constructed at a height of four feet above ground level, supported by retaining walls on both sides, he added.
An official said, “It is practically impossible to widen Durgabai Deshmukh Road due to the presence of two petrol pumps and colleges situated on both sides. For the proposed greenfield road, the entire route passes through land parcels owned by government departments, including Animal Husbandry, Higher Education, WRD, and Revenue departments. No private land has been acquired for this project. Some land parcels that were illegally occupied will be reclaimed,” explained the official.
Currently, vehicles from RK Mutt Road, DGS Dhinakaran Road, Kamarajar Salai (Abiramipuram) and Greenways Road converge at the intersection of R A Puram and Adyar. This causes huge traffic congestion on R K Mutt Road, with vehicles backed up for two to three kilometers during rush hours.
ONE-WAY ROAD
The 630-metre-long road will have three lanes, with a total width of 15 metres
Carriageway will span 11 metres with 1.5-metre-wide stormwater drains and footpaths on either side
Pet Care Centre, which currently handles around 20 cases daily, will be relocated to a new site