Subway gets a smart makeover, but is still under lock and key

Three months after the pedestrian subway in front of Sacred Heart Girls’ School at Thousand Lights was renovated, the facility is waiting for the government nod to be inaugurated

The renovated pedestrian subway at Thousand Lights on Anna Salai.

Every day around 6 p.m., once the sun goes down, the automatic lights come on at the new pedestrian subway in front of Sacred Heart Girls’ School, at Thousand Lights on Anna Salai. But, the facility is hardly of any use, as it is yet to be opened for public use.

The subway, which is maintained by the State Highways Department was demolished about a year ago to facilitate Chennai Metro Rail work. More than three months after the subway was renovated, it remains under lock and key, forcing pedestrians to walk on the carriageway.

Senior citizens and students have to walk all the way to the Anand Theatre bus stop, which is around 200 metres from the subway. Lack of traffic police personnel on the stretch makes it difficult for them to cross the stretch, where the flow of vehicles is almost continuous. Pedestrians can often be spotted in small groups, signalling to the drivers to stop so that they can cross the road.

The stretch between the erstwhile Safire theatre and Anand theatre does not have a proper footpath, which too was demolished for Metro Rail work more than a year ago. “Vehicles coming from Gemini flyover often come at a breackneck speed, taking advantage of the lack of a working traffic signal at Anand theatre bus stop. Walkers are helpless here,” says S. Kavitha, a pedestrian.

The new subway was built by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) at a cost of ₹1.2 crore. The facility has tiled stairs and steel railings. Ramps have been built for the benefit of differently-abled people. Sodium vapour lights have been replaced with energy-efficient LED lights. Fire extinguisher and maps on Metro Rail routes have also been fixed. Modelled on the lines of the pedestrian subways near Simspons and Saidapet on Anna Salai , the subway also has toughened glass panels. Water outlets have been created to discharge excess rainwater to a stormwater drain along the stretch.

“The new subway is ready for use. However, we are waiting for the State government nod to open it for public use,” says a State Highways official.