The four-year-old Maduravoyal flyover has hardly met its objective. It was built to reduce traffic congestion on the Chennai Bypass-Poonamallee High Road. As a result of this, pedestrians were expected to be able to cross the road safely, without any anxiety. Many, however, still find it difficult to cross the busy PH Road due to a continuous flow of vehicles.
Constructed by the National Highways Authority of India, the flyover was also aimed at providing relief to motorists passing through the junction, which has always been considered accident-prone. Motorists and pedestrians coming from the interior road have to risk their lives while crossing the PH Road, as unruly motorists, including MTC buses and south-bound government buses and two-wheelers violate traffic rules. “It’s very risky to cross the stretch even when a policeman is manning the junction as motorists jump the signal. We have to literally run across the stretch,” says K. Pushpa, a resident in Maduravoyal.
Every day, hundreds of container lorries with consignments from automobiles companies in Sriperambudur and Irungattukottai and other industrial areas in the neighbouring Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur use PH Road to reach the port.
Besides, office goers and students from the city outskirts too use the stretch to reach the main city. With most of the professional colleges located in the outskirts, there is continuous movement of college buses between the city and its outskirts.
Also, an MTC bus stop near the narrow junction causes traffic chaos forcing other vehicles to wait for the bus to pass. Pedestrians must negotiate the little space available between the buses and other vehicles. “Motorcyclists are the worst offenders as they try to sneak into available space at high speeds,” said a traffic policeman.
