Motorists out on a limb at Retteri junction

With the signals on the blink and no police personnel around to regulate traffic, this junction is a picture of chaos

Traffic seems to be going haywire near the wide space around the Retteri junction on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai as police personnel have been withdrawn from there.

The modern digital traffic signals, which were working prior to the opening of the flyover, are also defunct, making the stretch accident-prone with vehicles zipping away in four directions.

The second arm of the Retteri flyover, which was opened recently, is 1.32-km-long and built at a cost of Rs 41.07 crore.

Many motorists use the space below the flyover at the intersection to reach neighbourhoods like Retteri, Kolathur, Sembium, Villivakkam and ICF.

“It is common to see motorists and pedestrians coming from four directions trying to cross the intersection at Retteri at the same time, putting the other road users and themselves in jeopardy. At night, we are unable to see pedestrians due to the poor lighting facilities at the intersection,” says B. Ramesh Babu, a motorist from Kolathur.

At present, motorists coming from Anna Nagar can proceed straight towards Madhavaram junction by using the first arm of the flyover that was opened in 2016.

Motorists from Anna Nagar, who have to take right or left turn to go to Kolathur and Surapet, have to go below the flyover at Retteri junction. All motorists coming from Madhavaram can use the newly-opened second arm of the flyover to reach Anna Nagar.

“Steps will be taken to regulate traffic at the intersection soon,” say police sources.