Hundreds risk lives on VV Koil Street

CHENNAI: Driving on VV Koil Street, an arterial stretch between Taramani link Road and CSIR Road, is becoming risky for motorists daily. The broken surface filled with potholes has made nearly two lakh daily users, mostly IT employees, vulnerable to accidents.  

“We have employees coming from different parts of the city, some even travel 40 km to 50 km. But, all of them dread this tiny 550-metre stretch. I have been working here for a decade. Only patchwork is being done to fix the damaged portions. I have not seen the officials re-lay the entire road ever since I joined,” said K Ramakrishnan, working at the Ascendas IT Park located right next to the street.
To avoid VV Koil Street while travelling towards the Tidel Park signal, motorists from Jawaharlal Nehru Salai must travel three extra kilometres via Old Mahabalipuram Road, which again is infamous for its unending traffic snarls. So, they resort to this small stretch instead.

“A few drainage pipes are leaking in the street, stinking up the area. The road is unfit for use between 9 am and 11 am, and from 7 pm to 10 pm. It takes at least 15 minutes to cross this stretch. It is scary to even think of traversing the road during monsoons,” said Sree Venkatesh, a motorist, who works in Taramani.
For R Srivithya, a regular on this route, her two-wheeler needs frequent servicing because of the condition of the road. “Accidents are common as motorists skid on the patchy surface. The small yet sharp concrete stones bruise your hands if you fall,” she said.

When contacted, an official from the Greater Chennai Corporation said the civic body has identified 1,200 stretches in the city to lay new roads including VV Koil Street. However, he did not mention any deadline. “Most of the stretches identified for new roads are in the range of 100 m to 500 m in length. The roads will get 50 mm of bitumen macadam and 40 mm of bitumen concrete,” he said.

Relaying roads
An official from the Greater Chennai Corporation said the civic body has identified 1,200 stretches in the city to lay new roads in which VV Koil Street is also included. However, he did not mention any deadline.