Construction of road median, along the West Boulevard Road in the city, though sanctioned over a year back, is progressing in fits and starts, much to the resentment of road users.
The corporation had announced the Rs.3-crore project to widen and strengthen the arterial road running from Teppakulam Post Office to Marakkadai in January 2011.
Although the road was re-laid after felling several trees on the stretch several months back, construction of the road median remains incomplete, for reasons best known to the authorities. The work resumed a couple of months ago, only to come to a halt again.
A trench in the middle of the road, apparently meant for the construction of the median, gives a tough time to motorists with a thick layer of sand accumulating on the space.
Besides, traffic remains unregulated as the right half of the road is now being used for two-way traffic between the Arunachalam statue and Marakkadai.
Speculations are rife over the alleged opposition to the project from a section of traders apparently fearing a constriction of the road space, especially for the parking of goods vehicles for loading and off-loading goods from the shops along the road. With a slew of hardware shops along the road, several goods vehicles could be seen parked along the road. In fact, the felling of trees had only resulted in a substantial area of the freed-up space being occupied by goods vehicles.
M.Sekaran, president of the Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations and member of the District Road Safety Committee, said the committee has approved the proposal and it was up to the corporation to execute the work.
When contacted, a corporation official said that the work would be resumed soon as already a portion of the median has been constructed from the Arunachalam statue junction.
