After a delay of two months, bus route roads and damaged interior roads are likely to get a makeover after Pongal. The Chennai Corporation floated bids in October for more than 180 bus route roads and for appointment of a consultant for the road makeover project on damaged stretches of interior roads.
At least 1,700 interior roads have been damaged in the 15 zones of the city. More damaged roads will also be identified after the monsoon.
The project to give a makeover to damaged bus route roads, interior roads and footpaths in all the zones is estimated to cost around ₹250 crore.
Officials said the agreement has not been signed with the contractors in the past two months because of the monsoon. The work is expected to begin after Pongal, when the workers will return from their native villages.
The civic body will also develop footpaths along 60 bus route roads, connecting Metro stations and bus stops with major institutions in the city. Pedestrian facilities to improve connectivity to commercial areas will also be included in the project.
According to data compiled by the Chennai Corporation, complaints on damaged roads have increased in the past few weeks. Most of the 471 bus routes roads and 33,000 interior roads have been damaged, leading to the development of 25,000 potholes.
Chennai Corporation has started repair work of potholes during the monsoon, using wet mix. “We have completed 80% of the work. All the potholes will be repaired by this month,” said an official.
Motorists have reported many accidents on the damaged stretches. The civic body is planning to identify spots where frequent accidents have been reported. “We will also redesign the roads, after identifying the cause of the road accidents,” said an official.
