A dual-carriageway Link Road connecting Ramapuram and K.K. Nagar via Anna Main Road received the finishing touch a fortnight ago. It has LED lamps, reflectors, a concrete median, drains to discharge excess rainwater.
The picture is perfect, isn’t it? Except that wooden logs have been placed at both ends of this road, keeping motorists at bay. The inauguration of the road has been put on hold.
A redundant public toilet and a Tasmac outlet are said to be the cause for the delay. The public toilet and Tasmac outlet are located near the intersection of the new Link Road and Anna Main Road. According to Corporation officials, when the new road is opened to traffic, motorists coming from Anna Main Road will have to take a ‘left’ turn before entering this stretch. The public toilet obstructs the view of this Link Road for these motorists. The location of the Tasmac outlet also causes the same problem.
“Despite the road being ready for vehicular traffic, we continue to use Bazaar Road in Nesapakkam,” says K. Murthy, a motorist from Ramapuram.
The officials have also pointed out that parking of motorcycles in front of the Tasmac outlet near the new Link Road will create traffic snarls at the intersection.
As the intersection is located at a narrow bend, the Greater Chennai Corporation has constructed a roundtana with a high-mast lamp. The roundtana will also help streamline the traffic at the intersection once the new Link Road is opened.
The 300-metre-long Link Road provides quicker access to localities in Nesapakkam than the 950-metre-long Bazaar Road.
Moreover, as new stretch is 18 metres wide, buses can ply on it without any difficulty. At present, they are operated on the narrow Bazaar Road, which has a few dangerous curves, lacks a footpath and is poorly-illuminated.