The Bus Route Roads (BRR) department of the Greater Chennai Corporation is re-constructing the Anna Nagar roundtana a decade after it had been demolished to make room for infrastructure works, including construction of Metro Rail stations.
The roundtana is coming up in the selfsame spot where it stood.
Preliminary work on reconstruction of the roundtana began a few weeks ago with the construction of a circular concrete structure.
“We waited for CMRL’s Shenoy Nagar line to be inaugurated as this would reduce the vehicular traffic flow at the roundtana, allowing us to work on its restoration. The roundtana will be restored to its original design in two months,” a senior Corporation official told The Hindu. the project cost is estimated at ₹22 lakh.
As per the plan, the roundtana will have a diameter of 15 metres to allow vehicles, including buses, from all four directions to pass through the congested junction, easily.
Landscaping with a fountain and LED lights is among the other attractions that have been planned. A modern digital traffic signal, which will be in line with its original architecture, is part of the project.
Small concrete sumps with a depth of six feet will be built to store water for the plants at the roundtana.
“As Metro Rail plans to build subways near the roundtana, we decided to construct sumps instead of borewells as this might affect the subway work. A steel fencing will be built to prevent trespassing,” said the Corporation official.
Interestingly, the iconic four-sided clock tower — which was one of the highlights of the roundtana when it was built in the early 1970s — is being restored. The clock tower became defunct in the late 2000s.
Similarly, the statue of the former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai will be erected at the centre of the roundtana, as is in the original design.
The statue of the leader was installed at the roundtana in the 1980s, said Corporation officials.
According to a few longtime residents, in the years of its splendour, the roundtana served as a spot for residents to assemble after a walk between Tirumangalam and Chintamani, covering a distance of two kilometres.
For shopkeepers, the clock at the roundtana kept time.
