In an effort to make the two flyovers on Usman Road in T. Nagar more viable, the Corporation is considering connecting them and extending the combined entity right up to Anna Salai. The civic body would remove their entry and exit ramps while retaining their central portions to connect them and form one single flyover.
If connecting the two flyovers is found to be not feasible, the civic body would consider extending the South Usman Road flyover alone up to Anna Salai, Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy announced at the budget meeting of the Chennai Corporation on Monday. The feasibility study, he said, would be conducted by consultants.
The proposal is part of a larger traffic management system being mooted by the civic body. Mr. Duraisamy said the Corporation would increase coordination of all departments with the traffic police. The flyover at the junction of North Usman Road-Kodambakkam High Road was constructed at a cost of Rs. 9.72 crore and the one at Usman Road-Duraisamy Road junction at a cost of Rs. 19.8 crore during the DMK regime to help reduce traffic congestion. However, the two flyovers only added to the woes of residents and shoppers. The one at the Usman Road-Duraisamy Road junction does not permit free movement of vehicles on service lanes. The Fire and Rescue Services Department too had complained that fire tenders could not gain access to Ranganathan Street, Natesan Street and Ramasamy Street. A few months ago, members of T. Nagar Welfare Associations had called for demolition of the Usman Road-Duraisamy Road flyover.
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Several experts said that if the Corporation was planning to use prefabricated segments, extreme care must be taken during transportation and placement. “It has been possible in the Metro Rail project as the contractors have the expertise. If the Corporation is considering a similar option, it should make the clauses in the contract very tight,” said an urban planner.
The Mayor proposed to conduct feasibility studies for construction of grade separators at Adhithanar Salai, Pantheon Road and Dr. Rukmani Lakshmipathy Road junction; College Road, Sterling Road and Valluvar Kottam High Road Junction; Arcot Salai, Saligramam and K.K.Nagar 80 feet Road Junction; Mandaiveli Junction near Mandaiveli Bus Stand Junction; Bharathi Salai and Royapettah Clock Tower Junction; Gandhi Mandapam Salai and Ponniamman Koil Salai Junction at Kotturpuram.
For the year 2012-13, the Corporation has planned to construct a bridge across Otteri Nullah on Stephenson Road, a rail overbridge replacing a level crossing in Villivakkam, a pedestrian subway replacing a level crossing near Alandur AJS Nidhi School under deposit scheme by Southern Railway, and a vehicular bridge in place of an existing foot overbridge across Captain Cotton Canal on Ambedkar Road, Suzhpunalkarai. A total of Rs. 42.76 crore has been allocated for these works.
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It has also revived the proposal for a road connecting Greenways Road with the northern end of Thiru Vi Ka Bridge at Durgabai Deshmukh Road via Music College along the Adyar river.
The civic body has allocated Rs.103.85 crore for restoration and maintenance of 324.42 km length of roads in the city and converting 56.94 km of interior roads into cement concrete stretches.
A total of Rs.404.53 crore would be spent on construction of stormwater drains and specially-designed drain inlets. Efforts would also be taken to install rainwater harvesting structures at the inlets, the Mayor said.