Commuters want the flyover beneath the Chennai Metro Rail line at the Vadapalani junction, to be opened at the earliest, as this would solve much of the traffic problem in this area.
According to State Highways Department officials said, more than 1.85 lakh motorists use J.N. Main Road crossing the Vadapalani junction. And, more than 40,000 vehicles use Arcot Road which intersects this road at the junction.
Due to Chennai Metro Rail work for the past few years, during rush hour, it takes well over 30 minutes (there have extreme cases when the logjam has lasted over an hour) for motorists to cover the stretch between the MMDA signal and Vadapalani junction. “Throwing the flyover open alone will solve the problem,” says B. Sukumar, a resident of Vadapalani. The new bi-directional flyover, jointly constructed by the Chennai Metro Rail and the State Highways Department, is expected to enable motorists to travel quickly from Koyambedu to Ashok Nagar, a stretch of around 4 km, on J.N. Main Road.
On the other hand, motorists taking Arcot Road can pass through without waiting at the signal at the junction.
The project was mooted in 2005-06, but was approved only in 2011.
However, with the Chennai Metro Rail work for its service between Koyambedu and Alandur getting under way that year, the flyover project was put in cold storage. Land acquisition problems are also behind the project getting off to a late start. Finally, in December 2014, work on the flyover began.
Residents say removal of encroachments, which are mostly extensions of shops, on Arcot Road, along with the opening of the flyover, will end the traffic problem in Vadapalani, which has been witnessing rapid growth with many multi-storey apartment complexes coming up in the last decade.
Widening of Arcot Road is key to easing the traffic on the stretch, which is a major route for MTC buses. “Widening of Arcot Road is a long-term project. To ease the problem immediately, the flyover will be opened soon,” said a State Highways official.
Published - November 25, 2016 05:06 pm IST
