For a fortnight now, traffic at the key intersection of Ormes Road, Dr. Alagappa Chetty Road, Barnaby Road, Flower’s Road and Millers Road in Kilpauk is out of gear due to lack of an effective traffic arrangement. There is a need for one because drainage repair work is under way at the intersection.
The repair work, which is being executed by Chennai Metrowater, is aimed at de-clogging the existing drainage network around the intersection. At present, Dr. Alagappa Chetty Road is separated from other key stretches by a small triangular roundtana at the intersection. Corporation officials had placed small concrete slabs as a median up to the roundtana from to prevent motorists from Dr. Alagappa Chetty Road using the nearby one-way roads. “With no alternative traffic arrangement, we find it risky to use the intersection as vehicles come in the wrong direction on Flower’s Road near Sangam Theatre,” says K. Vasanth, a motorist from Kilpauk.
Despite concrete slabs are placed, motorists push the concrete blocks and use the one-way routes, resulting in accidents, especially on Ormes Road, which has many commercial establishments and schools. The intersection does not have a traffic police personnel round-the-clock, making it easier for motorists to take advantage of the situation. A few autorickshaw drivers chip in to regulate traffic for a few hours. During rush hour, the intersection witnesses more than 8,000 vehicles on an average. The intersection is a short route for motorists from many localities including Ayanavaram, Perambur, Kilpauk, ICF and Villivakkam to reach Poonamallee High Road than the congested Purasawalkam High Road.
Police sources say most of the stretches that are connected with this intersection are narrow streets and one-way routes. Further, these lanes are being frequently used by hundreds of motorists even after the widening of PH Road, after the completion of the Metro Rail work a few months ago. As a result, the ongoing repair work at the intersection turns the spot chaotic. The ongoing work is expected to get completed soon. “A few police personnel will be deployed to regulate traffic during rush hour,” say a police personnel.
