There are a few stretches in and around Vyasarpadi that never change, say residents. Craters and potholes are a permanent feature of roads in the locality. Residents insist that they do not recall the last time that any of these stretches was relaid.
The stretch near Ganeshapuram subway and portions of Morthingar Street — both key to north Chennai residents — resemble the lunar surface. Relaying and patchwork are seldom taken up. If they are, the tar topping quickly wears off, and the potholes make a comeback.
These roads witness a constant flow of vehicles including lorries and share autorickshaws. For road users, especially motorists, it is a daily struggle to navigate the damaged stretches.
When it rains, waterlogging is nothing new for the Ganeshapuram subway. But residents note that this has changed over the years with measures to pump out water being put in place.
However, the damaged portions of the road have not been addressed. “The road on either side of the subway is damaged. So, vehicle users find it difficult to get onto the road from the subway. If we complain to the Chennai Corporation, all that they do over the next few days is to put a fresh tar surface atop the road and increase the height. So, we have stayed away from complaining for some time now,” said Ravi, a resident of Ganeshapuram. An auto driver said that he plies via the subway every day but nothing about the condition of the road has changed.
Anand, a resident of Vyasarpadi, said, “I have been living here for several years but the condition of this stretch of Morthingar Street is the same. It is ridden with potholes and makes driving difficult. Just take a look at the number of pits on this stretch. Vehicles have to slow down, and this leads to congestion. Nobody cares about repairing the damaged portions.”
Zonal officials of the Corporation said they will have to check if the two stretches are covered under the new schemes for road works.
“Officials inspected the Ganeshapuram subway recently to see if it could be developed. A proposal is being developed and we will see if this road work can be included,” an official also added.
