Widening of SWD near Central station resumes

After a lull spanning months, work involving reconstruction of damaged open stormwater drains at the entrance of Central railway station on Wall Tax Road in Park Town resumed a few weeks ago, and has been put on a fast track.

Workers with the State Highways Department, which maintains Wall Tax Road and Poonamallee High (PH) Road, are now widening the existing drain by three feet without damaging the compound wall of the railway station, which is a heritage building. The drain is located between two entrances of the railway station.

The resumption of SWD widening work follows a news report in

The Hindu Downtown dated March 29 that highlighted how the delay in the work is hindering the movement of commuters into and out of the railway station. It was also posing a problem to other road users. It was also pointed out that the open drain had not been fenced properly; nor were there any warning signboards or reflectors to caution motorists.

“The entire drain work will be completed in two months along with other developmental works which include creation of median on the Wall Tax Road,” says a State Highways official.