When the flyover at Porur junction was opened, officials and motorists expected it to ease the traffic congestion at the intersection.
On the contrary, movement of traffic at the intersection is sluggish, due to service lanes below the flyover being pothole-ridden and, therefore, getting inundated in the event of a downpour.
Motorists and pedestrians on Arcot Road, who cannot access the flyover from the junction, have to take the service lanes to reach either Ramapuram or Iyyappanthangal on the Mount—Poonamallee High Road, which is maintained by the State Highways Department.
After a downpour, the service lanes get slushy and slippery.
“Due to poor illumination, we cannot see the potholes on the service lanes at night. There have been many instances of motorcyclists skidding and hurting themselves. Officials should have re-laid the service lanes before opening the flyover,” says D. Suresh, a motorist from Porur.
As per the norms provided by the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), the executive agency of the project — in this case, it is the State Highways Department — is responsible for re-laying the service lanes.
This is the standard rule followed in the construction of flyovers, elevated corridors and subways in the country.
Interestingly, the service lanes from Iyyapanthangal towards the junction — where vehicles, including buses, take a left turn to reach the Arcot Road — were widened and re-laid with bitumen before the flyover was opened. However, the service lane towards Ramapuram from Arcot Road, though re-laid, is narrow.
The junction provides access to busy neighbourhoods such as Valasaravakkam, Vadapalani and Kodambakkam.
Small mercies
Residents of Karampakkam Main Road and First Street in Porur seem to have benefited in unexpected ways from this project. A case in point: Construction of stormwater drains.
According to Corporation officials, the ongoing stormwater drain work at the two streets will be completed in a month. Efforts are also being taken to establish an underground drainage system and provide piped water supply on these streets. At present, the stormwater drains have been built in many of the streets in the neighbourhood, and the network of drains includes connection between Arcot Road and Mount—Poonamallee Main Road and the interior lanes.
Though a few benefits seem to have come to residents of Karampakkam Main Road and First Street in Porur, the memories of traffic congestion on these small streets, which had been made one-way due to the project, are still fresh in their mind. Many motorists took these roads to reach Arcot Road, to avoid traffic congestion, and in the process created traffic congestion there.
