During rush hour, ever square inch at Dams Road-Blackers Road junction is taken. That however is not solely responsible for vehicular traffic acquiring the viscosity of peanut butter. The quality of the road surface is also a contributory factor.
Not long ago, at this junction, Dams Road was opened up for constructing a tranverse-moving section of the stormwater drain network. Crossing over from the side where BSNL office is located to the other side, the stormwater drain is designed to disgorge rainwater into the Couum. Mired in delays, largely because of a ganglion of cables having to be tucked into place, this work proved a thorn in the side of the F2 Egmore traffic police personnel.
The Egmore traffic police even temporaily dispensed with the one-way system on a section of Anna Salai (from Tarapore Towers to the Anna Salai- Blackers Road junction) to ease movement of vehicles.
Though put to bed many sunsets ago, that SWD work still makes itself felt, indirectly, and the traffic police personnel have to deal with it.
The transverse patch of Dams Road opened up for it has not been neatly stitched back into place. Battered, this patch slows vehicles down tightening the traffic knot at the junction.
As pointed out to The Hindu Downtown, as a short-term measure, the F2 traffic police fill the depressions at the road with brick debris to speed proceedings up around the junction. Taken on January 19, this image illustrates this intervention.
There is no effective substitute for a proper road-laying exercise by the rightful managers of the road.
