One year since the widening work on the scenic East Coast Road from Akkarai to Mamallapuram, and a 19-km stretch on the road has an additional lane.
The Rs. 300-crore work on the 33.5-km stretch is expected to be completed by March 2016.
Sources in Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), which manages the road that runs to Puducherry, say the project has been taken up in an effort to reduce accidents on the two-lane facility.
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The road is dotted with several tourist attractions, including Madras Crocodile bank, Tiger caves and beach resorts, and used by over 10,000 vehicles daily.
On completion, the road — with 19 box culverts, five minor bridges and one major bridge at Muttukadu — will be four lanes wide, and will have a two-metre-wide median and paved shoulders. The total width of the road will be 24 metres. Four laning is expected to be completed before monsoon, say officials.
Due to increased local traffic, six villages — Panayur, Uthandi, Kanathur, Muttukadu, Vadanemeli and Devaneri — will have service lanes and improved lighting. As part of the work, the toll plaza at Uthandi will get four additional lanes and restroom facility.
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According to officials, apart from the widening work, 13 curves will be corrected to provide better visibility, and seven traffic junctions will be improved.
The curves beyond Mamallapuram will be widened to allow free flow of traffic and will have medians to avoid head-on collisions.
Taking into consideration pedestrian safety, the junctions at Arambakkam, Vengambakkam, Vittalapuram, Pudhupattinam, Vayalur, Perunthiravu and Kadapakkam will get lights, pedestrian crossings, signages and bus shelters.
Meanwhile, residents and motorists have expressed concerns over the safety of vehicles during the road work.
M. Vandana, a resident of Injambakkam, who uses the road frequently, says, “More reflectors must be placed on the sides, especially in places where there are curves.”