The highways department will soon begin work to refurbish the pedestrian subway near the Head Post Office on Anna Salai
Once completed, the subway will have toughened glass arches and granite slabs on the sides. The steps too will get new non-slippery tiles. The Rs. 40-lakh work taken up under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme will take a month to be completed.
“We are trying to provide a uniform look to all subways. The facility near the Simpsons’ signal was the first to be refurbished. The subway at the Head Post Office is over 30 years old, and though from time to time maintenance works have been carried out, no major alteration has been put in place,” said a source in the department.
Pedestrian movement will not be affected during the time the works are carried out and the tiles would be pasted at night, the source said.
D. Ravikumar, who works on Anna Salai and uses the subway on a regular basis, said the cleanliness inside, compared to the state a few years ago, had definitely improved. “The hawkers, who used to spread their goods inside, have been moved outside and the lighting too has been improved. It is also quite clean. If the traffic police prevent pedestrians from crossing the road and direct them to the subway, more people would use it, making it safer,” he said.
The city has a total of 17 subways, of which 11 are located on Anna Salai and Grand Southern Trunk Road. Poonamallee High Road and Kamaraj Salai have two each and Walltax Road and Rajaji Salai, one each.
The first subways in the city were constructed in 1973-1974 and these came up opposite the Chennai Central station, Park station and on Anna Salai beneath the Anna Statue. The subways were constructed as part of the Integrated Urban Development Plan I and II.
