The highways department has begun to widen portions of the busy Mount – Medavakkam Road in order to decongest the busy stretch.
Officials said the road had already been widened in certain portions based on availability of land. Work is currently on to knock down portions of buildings at Muvarasampet near Madipakkam. “At least half the buildings were altered by the owners themselves. We are demolishing only the remaining buildings,” said a source.
Space would also be created for construction of stormwater drains. The Highways Department will soon commence work to demolish buildings in Kovilambakkam and Nanmangalam as it has acquired a total of 1,873 square metres of land.
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Ravi, a resident of Madipakkam, said that only portions of the road have drains and even those are at a higher level, leading to water logging. “The road is narrow in some portions and wide in others. It would benefit residents if it is widened and cleaned regularly,” he said.
The haphazard parking of vehicles also causes congestion. “The sides of the road have been encroached upon by shops and commercial establishments,” said Mani, a resident of Ullagaram.
The road that starts at MKN Road near the St. Thomas Mount Railway station ends at Medavakkam on the Velachery - Tambaram Road and is 9 km long. It provides connectivity to those travelling from the GST Road to Rajiv Gandhi Salai. The road winds via Alandur, Ullagaram Puzhudhivakkam, Madipakkam, nanmangalam, Kovilambakkam and Keelkattalai. It cuts across the Thoraipakkam- Pallavaram Radial road at Keezhkattalai. Between 2006 and 2010, Rs. 16 crore was spent to widen the road and construct medians.
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