The civic body workers on Saturday demolished 67 houses and a couple of other structures on the Old Sathy Road, north of the Ganapathy bus stand.
According to Town Planning wing officials, a team led by Town Planning Officer in-charge S. Ravichandran, based on instructions from Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan, started the operations in the morning using heavy machinery.
Alternative houses
The occupants of the houses had been living there by encroaching upon the road for over 45 years and were allotted alternative houses six months ago in the tenements the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board had constructed in Keeranatham.
The officials said the occupants vacated their Old Sathy Road houses a few weeks ago.
The demolition would take the width of the road from 30 feet to 80 feet and ease traffic congestion in the stretch and those proceeding to Maniakarampalayam Road from Ganapathy could take the road. They need not reach the Surya Hospital Junction.
Likewise, those proceeding from Maniakarampalayam to Ganapathy could take the road, without having to reach the junction.
Retaining wall
The sources said that as part of the eviction drive, the Corporation would construct a retaining wall along the nearby channel and then widen the road.
Further, as part of the junction improvement programme, the Corporation planned to remove a few more structures near the Ganapathy bus stand. It also proposed to acquire a few cents of land and had written to the Local Planning Authority for funds, the officials added.
