After a three-decade long struggle, a crucial link road connecting Tambaram with Tiruneermalai has been completed.
Owing to a delay on the part of the forest department to part with a small patch of land all these years, and other procedural delays, the link road connecting a couple of ancient hamlets of West Tambaram was in a complete shambles. It was nearly impossible for vehicles to travel on it, with the exception of lorries transporting construction material.
It was in 2008 that steps were initiated to make the road motorable. The then State minister for environment and forests made a spot inspection and gave a patient hearing to elected representatives and residents about the problems they faced.
In 2010, the forest department finally gave its nod to the municipality to lay a bitumen-topped surface on the link road on a piece of land measuring around 2.5 acres, officials of the department of municipal administration and water supply said. However, as the underground drainage project was underway, work on laying the road was not taken. Subsequently, due to escalation of costs, the original estimate of Rs. 38 lakh was revised and the new project cost was pegged around Rs. 1.3 crore.
Work on the road was taken up on three stretches, over a total distance of about 2.3 kilometres. The road is about 7 metres wide except in forest land, where it is only 3.6 metres wide. Work was taken up only after distribution lines of the drainage project were laid.
Now that the road work has been completed, it has been proposed to introduce MTC bus services from Tambaram to Poonamallee, via Tiruneermalai and Kundrathur.
Earlier, residents from West Tambaram and Kannadapalayam had to travel via Chromepet and Nagalkeni on GST Road to reach Tiruneermalai, Tirumudivakkam and Anakaputhur.
With the new link in place, distance to these places will come down about 10-15 kilometres, the officials said.
