Residents of Vanagaram, a fast-developing locality near Maduravoyal, often have to endure bumpy rides and face the risk of accidents as a portion of the Poonamallee High Road has been severely damaged.
Frustrated with inaction on their representations, residents conducted a protest meeting in Vanagaram on Thursday seeking the widening of the unpaved portion immediately. R.Venkatesan, resident of Balaji Nagar, said a portion of the arterial road needs to be widened on both sides. Many motorists have a tough task during peak hours and often spend a long time stuck in the traffic. Accidents have also become common when motorists attempt to use the unpaved portion to move ahead.
In addition to residents of several localities such as Rajiv Nagar, VGN Nagar, Pallavan Nagar and Thiruverkadu, the stretch is also of vital importance to people travelling to Vellore and Bengaluru. It was particularly difficult to ride the two-km stretch between Vanagaram and Poonamallee that had developed craters and turned slushy after recent rains, residents complained.
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B. Varadarajan, president of Federation of Maduravoyal Residents Welfare Association, said pedestrians often were the worst affected as they had to vie for space with the vehicles. Though authorities had promised that the stretch of the road between Vanagaram and Walaja would be widened into a six-lane facility, the proposal was still pending.
Pointing out that toll was collected on the stretch starting from Vanagaram, residents said that despite several complaints, no improvement had been made.
S. Yuvaraj, president of Rajiv Nagar residents welfare association, said that on an average, nearly Rs. 25 lakh was collected as toll charges daily.
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“We have been demanding that the road be widened for three years to prevent accidents. We have planned to re-lay the portion of the road if measures are not taken to blacktop the stretch before the rains intensify,” he added.
A portion of Poonamallee High Road in the area
has been severely damaged