Chennai Corporation has resumed a drive to rename roads in the city, passing a resolution to rename one of the largest stretches.
A decision to send a proposal to rename a 20.8-km stretch of Mount-Poonamallee-Avadi Road has been taken by the civic body.
The road will be named ‘Puratchi Thalaivar Dr.MGR Nedunchalai’ and is expected to get a makeover shortly.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had already announced the proposal, directing the Corporation to study the feasibility of renaming the road after the former Chief Minister M.G.Ramachandran. The proposal was sent since the former CM’s house, Ramavaram Thottam, was located on the road.
The road, which belongs to the Highways Department, has been proposed to be renamed by Chennai Corporation after the State government gave permission to the Corporation Commissioner to carryout the name change. The civic body has been cleaning garbage along only 4 km of the road.
The civic body has asked the Valasaravakkam zonal officer to install new nameboards along the road. After renaming the road, the stretch is likely to be redesigned with better pedestrian facilities, utilities, street furniture and wider carriageway.
The civic body and other line agencies would conduct a study along the stretch to assess the civic issues caused by traffic bottlenecks and inadequate parking space.
In 2010, the civic body led by the DMK's Mayor Ma.Subramanian announced a proposal to rename 50 roads, which had been named after foreigners.
The roads were proposed to be renamed after Tamil scholars and those who contributed significantly to the literary enrichment of the Tamil language.
But the proposal was shelved after the party lost power in 2011.
After the AIADMK won the 2011 elections, the proposal was revived two years later by AIADMK Mayor Saidai Duraisamy. Halls Road was renamed Tamil Salai. After 2016, the special officer's council renamed Frazer Bridge Road in George Town as TNPSC Road and Montieth Road was renamed Red Cross Road.
