Chennai Corporation will soon float tenders to take up work to improve lighting on two important roads in north Chennai, the 5 km-long Tiruvottiyur High Road and the 5 km-long Manali Expressway. Estimates have been drawn up to improve upon the lights.
On Tiruvottiyur High Road from Toll Gate to Ernavur bridge, though expansion is proceeding at a snail's pace, 160 poles with 320 sodium vapour lamps will come up on the median. This work is expected to be completed by August and will come as a welcome relief to residents who have been constantly complaining about the lack of lighting on the 5 km stretch that is dotted with hundreds of shops and commercial establishments, six schools and five hospitals.
As far as the Ennore Expressway is concerned, the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company, the managing associate for the Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project, has deposited Rs. 114 lakh with the Chennai Corporation to install lighting facilitates. Work on widening of the road is expected to be completed next year.
Ganesh Kumar, a resident of Radhakrishna Nagar in Theradi, said that apart from containers trucks going to the Chennai Port, residents of at least 12 residential areas including SBI Colony, Pattinathar Koil, Kamadenu Nagar and Mastan Koil used the Ennore Expressway.
“Earlier, some arrangements had been made to have lights at the junctions of roads leading to the Ennore Expressway. But now most of those lights have been removed in the widening. The entire stretch is dark and using the road after dark is very difficult. Some kind of temporary lights could be installed until the road work is completed,” he suggested.
Residents of various fishing hamlets along the Ennore Expressway said that interior roads in the area were not lit. V. Kumar of Kasi Viswanathar Koil Kuppam in Tiruvottiyur, said many streets in his area were not lit and despite complaints to local officials, no action had been taken.
Ma.Ki. Raman, a resident of Village Street in Tiruvottiyur said that many interior roads had been dug up and it was very difficult to walk on those roads without lights. “There are no boards near the pits explaining for what purpose they have been dug up. The tapes used to cordon them off have also gone missing,” he said.
Meanwhile, work to provide adequate lighting on the Ernavur bridge, a crucial facility in north Chennai is underway with the Chennai Corporation having completed cable laying work.
A total of 68 new lights and fittings are being installed and 17 new poles are being inserted in gaps and work at a total cost of Rs. 16 lakh is expected to be completed in 10 days. At least 10,000 vehicles including container trucks proceeding to and from the Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti Road use the facility daily.
