Torrid time for motorists as civic body drags its feet on median works

A trench-like space on the middle of the West Boulevard Road lies uncovered

With the proposed road median yet to be constructed along West Boulevard Road, motorists are forced to precariously negotiate a trench along the road. Photo: R.M. Rajarathinam

The delay in completing development works, especially the construction of road median, along the West Boulevard Road in the city is giving a torrid time to road users in the city.

The corporation had taken up Rs.3-crore project to widen and strengthen the arterial road running from the Teppakulam Post Office to Marakkadai. A large number of trees along the road were also felled, ostensibly to expand the road space, last year.

Though it has been months since the road was re-laid, work on the construction of the road median is yet to commence. Motorists using the road have been facing a tough time as a trench-like space on the middle of the road, apparently for the construction of the median, lies uncovered. With a thick layer of sand accumulating on the space, motorists especially two wheeler riders tend to slip and accidents are becoming all too frequent, complain residents.

Though the corporation had recently announced that the road median would be constructed soon after the proposal was cleared by the District Road Safety Committee, there are still no signs of the work commencing soon. Corporation officials, when contacted, said that there has been some opposition from local traders for the construction of the road.

“Construction of the median along the road is a dire necessity. Traffic condition on the road is chaotic. Unless the corporation built the road median, there could be no justification for the felling of the trees along the road and the removal of encroachments, including a few temples,” says M.Sekaran, president, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations.

Mr.Sekaran, who is also a member of the District Road Safety Committee, insists that the committee has already approved the proposal and the corporation had promised to begin the work soon. Local residents point out that the widening of the road, after the felling of trees and encroachments, has only benefitted the local traders and goods vehicles.

With a slew of hardware shops along the road, several goods vehicles could be seen parked along the road. If the median were to be constructed, it was imperative that the vehicles were not allowed to be parked along the road, they said.