The intersection at Ellischathiram on the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway 45 connecting suburbs to the district headquarters of Villupuram has turned into a nightmare for motorists crossing the stretch.
The busy intersection is among the 56 ‘black spots’ identified by the Villupuram police, with 17 dubbed as the ‘most accident prone’ stretches. These accounted for the maximum number of 527 deaths in 3,143 accidents across the district.
The rise in accidents on this stretch has now renewed the demand of the locals to construct a flyover across the NH-45 connecting the suburbs to Villupuram.
While the highway connecting Chennai to Theni passes through this junction, the State Highway 69 from Villupuram to Vriddachalam, which connects major parts of the district with the headquarters also intersects at the junction.
“A large number of residents from surrounding villages cross the stretch to reach the Master Plan Complex viz., the District Collectorate, Integrated Court Complex, Regional Transport Office, Employment Office, District Police Office, Treasury, office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police and educational institutions in the vicinity,” said Anniyur Siva, a senior DMK functionary.
The absence of a limited use subway or a flyover has been the major cause of accidents on this stretch. Though the Manual of Specifications and Standards of the Planning Commission of India mandates construction of overbridges at cross roads if the traffic density is moderate to heavy, these factors have not been taken note of by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as well as the district administration, Mr. Sivashanmugam said.
The authorities should conduct a survey on the traffic density of vehicles crossing this stretch. Then they will realise the need for the construction of a flyover or an underpass, he said.
When contacted, a senior official said that the NHAI had identified seven stretches as accident prone and submitted a proposal seeking construction of flyovers or underpasses to the Centre.
Of them “in-principle” approval has been obtained for construction of flyovers at Mundiyambakkam and Gingee Road. The construction of flyover at Ellischathiram and four other places is being processed, he said.