Thirty years have passed but residents of Sixth Avenue, opposite the Anna Nagar West bus terminus, are still waiting for a bitumen-topped road.
Residents have tried everything they could: They have complained to the Chennai Corporation, sent petitions to the courts, staged demonstrations, organised signature campaigns, passed resolutions at the residential welfare meetings urging the civic body to upgrade the stretch. They have even uploaded photographs of the dusty road on social networking sites but nothing has helped convert the sandy Sixth Avenue Main Road into a bitumen-topped stretch.
“Like other residents in the city, we too are prompt tax payers. We deserve basic facilities like a proper road. However, all we hear are excuses from officials,,” said B. Karpagam, a resident of Anna Nagar.
The 60-feet wide Road enables people to reach various places within Anna Nagar and the city. Heavy vehicles like goods-laden lorries from neighbouring states also use the road. With the one-way traffic change effected at many places, including 18 and 13 Main Roads and Second Avenue Road in Anna Nagar for Metro Rail and flyover projects, stretches such as Sixth Avenue Main Road are widely used. Hundreds of motorists from Ambattur Industrial Estate, Red Hills and Padi travel on Eighteenth Main Road and Sixth Avenue Road to reach Anna Arch, Chintamani, Kilpauk and Poonamellee High (PH) Road every day.
The traffic has increased after the diversion, but the condition of the road remains bad. “Vehicles, including lorries use the stretch round the clock. As there are many schools and hospitals in the locality, children and elders find it difficult to reach these facilities using the stretch. The condition is worse during monsoon,” said V. Kavitha, a resident of Anna Nagar.
Sixth Avenue Main Road becomes even more important as itconnects First Avenue and Anna Nagar Western Extension linking the 100-Feet Jawaharlal Nehru (JN) Main Road near Anna Nagar West Bus Depot. It is also a short route for motorists from ICF, Ayanavaram, Perambur, Villivakkam to reach Aminjikarai and Anna Arch. “We will take steps to lay the stretch with bitumen soon,” said a Corporation official.
