With the installation of a new traffic signal, vehicular movement at an intersection of Arcot Road and Kamaraj Salai in Virugambakkam has become significantly smooth.
Years ago, a defunct traffic signal at the intersection was removed, and not replaced with a new signal.
Since then, traffic at the intersection was being regulated manually by the traffic police personnel attached to the Virugambakkam police station, mainly during rush hour.
Unlike many other important intersections in the region, which include the one near La Chatelaine school in Alwarthirunagar and the one near AVM theatre in Vadapalani, the ‘T’ junction in Virugambakkam where Arcot Road and Kamaraj Salai meet, traffic congestion is not severe, largely because this intersection is wide.
However, in the days when the T-junction was characterised by manual regulation of traffic, a chaotic situation would often prevail, as motorists would converge on it from three directions at the same time.
Most of the time, traffic police personnel would not be around to regulate traffic at the junction.
“Before the installation of the new traffic signal, many pedestrians would walk up to Avichi school zebra crossing to cross Arcot Road. Now, they cross the road at this intersection safely,” says K. Vasanth, a motorist from Virugambakkam.
Located in front of the Container Freight Station, maintained by Central Warehousing Corporation, on Arcot Road in Virugambakkam, the intersection enables motorists to reach K.K. Nagar, Chimmiya Nagar, Saligramam, Dasarathapuram, Alwarthirunagar, Ramapuram, Ashok Nagar and Virugambakkam.
In fact, thanks to this intersection, residents of these areas can reach CMBT in Koyambedu and Poonamallee High (PH) Road quickly, taking Kamaraj Salai and Kaliamman Koil Street.
It is said that during weekends, residents of K.K. Nagar, MGR Nagar, Nesapakkam and Indira Nagar use the intersection to reach Koyambedu Wholesale market.
Motorists say ensuring permanent deployment of traffic police personnel at the intersection by establishing a small police booth will help prevent traffic violations as some motorists ignore the traffic signal at the intersection.
“Steps will be taken to have a few traffic police personnel deployed at the intersection, at least during the rush hour in the morning as well as in the evening,” says police sources.
