Monday’s light but intermittent rains worsened the condition of several city roads leaving them riddled with bumps and potholes and giving road users a nightmarish time.
The rains were not heavy but they wreaked havoc on the already battered roads. Rain-ravaged roads in Tambaram, Korattur, Basin Bridge, Tiruvottiyur, Tondiarpet, Vadapalani and Ayanavaram have gone from bad to worse.
The rains left several parts of Tiruvottiyur High (TH) Road including Tollgate, Thangal and Kaladipet waterlogged. Anandan, a resident of Tiruvottiyur, said rains always left the stretch from Tollgate to Kaladipet waterlogged and slushy.
On Tuesday, Basin Bridge witnessed traffic snarls from around 8.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. due to the battered road. “The road near the subway is in a bad shape.
Even the small amount of water stagnant here created a traffic jam. The potholes are waterlogged and hence, vehicles move at a snail’s pace. We have already asked the State Highways to relay the road,” said a traffic policeman.
Old Jail Road has turned bad with the rains. Residents of Vadapalani, Valarasaravakkam and Virugambakkam had a tough task negotiating Arcot Road, which was waterlogged bringing traffic to a standstill for over two hours.
In Korattur, dug-up roads in Thillai Nagar, North Railway Station Road and Shivalingapuram Main Road turned slushy. Nirmal, a resident of Korattur, said he sometimes stayed in a relative’s house until the road dried up. The delay in completing underground drainage works has made roads slushy and unmotorable.
Following the rains, many areas, including those in the southern suburbs, grappled with sewage overflow. Arterial roads and streets in residential localities, especially in Tambaram, where road restoration work is on, are in a shambles.
The road linking Agaram Main Road, Selaiyur and Madambakkam through Yeshwant Nagar has been severely damaged causing hardship to road usersAs this is a bus route and an important link to schools and colleges, road users have been put to hardship.
According to meteorological department, the weather stations in Nungambakkam, Meenambakkam and DGP office on Kamarajar Salai recorded 1 cm and 3 cm of rainfall respectively till 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday. There was no rain till Tuesday evening. With the system over the Bay of Bengal becoming feeble, evening showers may last for one or two more days.
