Six years after it was demolished to facilitate Metro Rail work, the pedestrian subway in Saidapet on Anna Salai has been reconstructed.
The new structure, with tiled flooring and LED lights, is now ready for use. There are also provisions to discharge rainwater.
The 200-metre-long subway has fire safety alarms and ramps for the differently-abled.
In addition, there is a huge map on Metro Rail routes to guide the public.
The facility, which belongs to the State Highways department, has been built by the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) at a cost of ₹86 lakh.
CMRL has also erected a shelter that goes with the stopover of Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses near the subway.
Also, another shelter has been installed on the other entrance to the subway. With a CMRL station in Saidpet and MTC stopovers, the subway will witness more footfall.
Ever since the subway was done away with, it was not easy to cross the road. Pedestrians used to cross near the entrance of Bazaar Road and near the Saidapet bus stand on the opposite side of the road.
“Than the dim-lit subway, we found crossing on the road far better although it was unsafe. But the new subway which is quite swanky will be frequented by pedestrians. Therefore, measures should be taken that it is not encroached upon by hawkers and it is well maintained,” says S. Ramesh, a resident of Saidapet. Police say that location of the MTC stopovers near the both the entrances of the subway will encourage pedestrians to use the facility rather than jumping over the concrete median on the road.
