For the past 15 years, residents of Nanganallur and Pazhavanthagal have been battling for the creation of a link road between Pazhavanthangal subway and Nanganallur Fifth Main Road. Several representations to the Greater Chennai Corporation, Kancheepuram district Collectorate and the CM’s Cell have gone in vain.
V. Rama Rao, secretary, People’s Welfare Association, Nanganallur Chapter, who is fighting for the cause, says, “If a link road is created, it will ease traffic bottlenecks at the intersection of the subway and at Vembuli Amman Koil Street, Pazhavanthangal, during rush hour.”
Earlier, there was a railway level-crossing in the place of the subway. Rama Rao, also a project director at Traffic and Transportation Forum, said, “The subway was constructed to ease rush hour traffic.
However, Southern Railway and State Highways Department constructed it without a proper design plan. The exit point of the subway should be straight, without any curves.
As there is a bend in the subway, the intersection is prone to accidents and several motorists have escaped with minor injuries.”
Even the Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus drivers complain that they find it difficult to turn at the end of the subway. There were occasions in which commuters have fallen from the buses while travelling on the footboard.
Moreover, the one-way traffic system at the intersection of Vembuli Amman Koil Street and Pazhavanthangal subway intensifies the problem.
Motorists from Grand Southern Trunk Road have to take a detour of nearly 2 km to reach Nanganallur Fifth Main Road.
If the link road is created, they can go straight from the subway.
For the purpose of land acquisition, the Greater Chennai Corporation has taken up the issue with the Kancheepuram district Collectorate. However, the land acquistition is pending with the Special Tahsildar, Kancheepuram.
Rama Rao said that more than 15 properties had to be acquired for the implementation of the project.