With work on the four-lane-wide flyover on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai at Koyambedu nearing completion, traffic from Kaliamman Koil Street has been diverted via E-Street to reach Poonamallee High Road at Mettukulam junction.
The diversion has been carried out by the traffic police based on a request from the Highways Department.
“The approach ramps are now under construction and on one side, due to lack of enough space, vehicles are forced to move at reduced speeds causing traffic jams. Until the work on the ramps is completed, the diversion will remain,” a police source explained.
The Highways Department has completed construction of the core structure of the ₹93.5 crore, 1.15-km-long flyover, work on which began in February 2017.
“Around 90% of the ramp work on the Vadapalani side has been completed and 20% on the Thirumangalam side is done. We are presently filling earth inside the retaining walls of the ramps. We hope the flyover will be ready by the end of March,” a source in the Highways Department said.
On completion, the flyover will allow 60% of the 90,000 vehicles proceeding from and to Anna Nagar and Vadapalani to avoid waiting at the signal on the junction of Jawaharlal Nehru Salai and Kaliamman Koil Street.
Virugambakkam resident S. Arumainathan said the widening of Kaliamman Koil Street should also be taken up to avoid traffic snarls. “Some portions have been widened but other stretches remain narrow,” he said.
