The pedestrian subway in front of Sacred Heart Girls’ School, Church Park that had been demolished to facilitate Metro Rail work is now ready for use.
What is significant is that it is equipped with many new amenities. The renovated facility has a tiled pathway and LED lights. At both of its entrances, there are CCTV cameras with night-vision feature facilities covering a distance of around 100 metres.
The renovated subway is expected to be open for the public after the elections.
The subway was built in 1970 and closed for demolition in March 2018. Built by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) at a cost of ₹ 1.2 crore, the bus stops on both sides of the road have got a swanky look.
Once the subway opens, it can be expected to put an end to the ordeal of pedestrians waiting to cross the road.
“Unlike other stretches in the city, you cannot cross Anna Salai safely unless there’s a pedestrian subway,” said S. Kamatchi, a commuter from Thousand Lights. At present, walkers have to use the pedestrian crossing near Anand theatre. Senior citizens and women found it risky especially during rush hour due to an almost-continuous flow of vehicles on Anna Salai.
Other features at the subway include rust-free steel handles and ramps for physically-challenged persons. The existing narrow stormwater drains have also been widened and de-clogged. Fire extinguisher and maps on Metro Rail routes have also been provided in the subway. Bus shelters on both sides of the stretch now come with better lighting and seating facilities. These amenities are modelled on the lines of the revamped pedestrian subway near Simson’s on Anna Salai, where toughened glass panels replace traditional side walls to impart an aesthetic look to the facility.
Entire electrical lines of the decades-old subway have also been replaced with additional heavy automatic motor pumps.
