Tough times are ahead for road users in the city with the traffic police giving a nod to Chennai Corporation's plans to dig up over 30 major roads for the construction of storm water drains.
But police say they have a plan to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. "Alternate routes near the work sites will be identified. If a long stretch is taken, the works will be allowed in a phased manner," additional commissioner of police (traffic) Sanjay Arora said. Heavy machineries, such as concrete mixers, will be allowed only at night, he said.
The civic body has plans to complete at least one-third of the drain works before September, ahead of the north-east monsoon, to avoid flooding in low-lying areas.
However, flow of traffic is likely to go haywire when arterial roads like Pantheon Road, Dr Ambedkar College Road, North Usman Road, Habibullah Road, and Thyagaraya Road in T Nagar are dug in coming days. The narrow Tiruvottiyur High Road, already reeling under a severe traffic crisis, has to prepare for the worst. North Chennai's artery will face the dig-up for about 600 metres, while Chamiers Road in Nandanam will be dug up for about 1.1km. The neighbouring St Mary's Road in Alwarpet will be dug up for a 1.2-km stretch.
35 roads to be dug up for drain work in next 60 days
The next 60 days will be a nightmare for road-users in the city, as the traffic police have granted permission to dig up as many as 35 stretches for building stormwater drains, facilitating the Chennai Corporation to complete one third of the drain works ahead of the north-east monsoon. The drain works are taken up with partial funding from the Centre's flagship programme, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
The roads will be dug up for a length of about 500 m to 2 km including in Kolathur, Vysarpadi, T Nagar, Purasawalkam, Egmore, Saligramam, Tondiarpet, Korukkupet, Greenways Road, Raja Annamalaipuram, Mylapore, Adyar, Nandanam and Saidapet. The excavation of earth and subsequent construction of concrete drains using ready-mix concrete will have to be completed within the stipulated period, or else monsoon in September-October will wreak havoc on the vehicular movement. "Of the 215 roads identified for digging, the traffic police have given permission to only 35, the remaining will get the nod after the monsoon," said a senior civic official.
But police say they have a plan to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. "Alternate routes near the work sites will be identified. If a long stretch is taken, the works will be allowed in a phased manner," additional commissioner of police (traffic) Sanjay Arora said. Heavy machineries, such as concrete mixers, will be allowed only at night, he said.
The civic body has plans to complete at least one-third of the drain works before September, ahead of the north-east monsoon, to avoid flooding in low-lying areas.
However, flow of traffic is likely to go haywire when arterial roads like Pantheon Road, Dr Ambedkar College Road, North Usman Road, Habibullah Road, and Thyagaraya Road in T Nagar are dug in coming days. The narrow Tiruvottiyur High Road, already reeling under a severe traffic crisis, has to prepare for the worst. North Chennai's artery will face the dig-up for about 600 metres, while Chamiers Road in Nandanam will be dug up for about 1.1km. The neighbouring St Mary's Road in Alwarpet will be dug up for a 1.2-km stretch.
35 roads to be dug up for drain work in next 60 days
The roads will be dug up for a length of about 500 m to 2 km including in Kolathur, Vysarpadi, T Nagar, Purasawalkam, Egmore, Saligramam, Tondiarpet, Korukkupet, Greenways Road, Raja Annamalaipuram, Mylapore, Adyar, Nandanam and Saidapet. The excavation of earth and subsequent construction of concrete drains using ready-mix concrete will have to be completed within the stipulated period, or else monsoon in September-October will wreak havoc on the vehicular movement. "Of the 215 roads identified for digging, the traffic police have given permission to only 35, the remaining will get the nod after the monsoon," said a senior civic official.
