Motorist confused as parallel dividers crop up on Anna Salai

CHENNAI: Two concrete structures constructed parallel to existing dividers along Anna Salai near Saidapet has resulted in frequent commotions. Eventually, an isolated lane has come up in the middle of the arterial stretch, which leads to some motorists taking the wrong route.
When asked, the state highways department said they were trying to demarcate the road equally on both sides and existing dividers will be removed after work is completed.
More than two lakh vehicles use this stretch, opposite the Saidapet metro station, on a daily basis. Six years ago, a portion of the road was barricaded to support metro rail construction. The divider was moved to accommodate vehicles on both sides. After metro rail work was finished, the barricades were removed but the dividers remained in the same location. So the road is not equally divided at present.
According to official data, the stretch right in front of the metro station is 20m wide while the other side is only 11m wide.
"To set this right, we are moving the dividers to their original space. The two structures constructed now will be merged with the existing divider near the traffic signal (opposite the car showroom)," a highways official said.
Since many government employees were on poll duty, work was left unattended resulting in existence of parallel dividers at two road junctions.
Vehicles plying towards Todd Hunter Road have no clue about which lane to take. The traffic signal is also located right in the middle of these lanes causing more confusion.
"At times, vehicles taking a U-turn at Saidapet Vet Hospital signal tend to take this isolated lane and end up driving in the wrong direction," Kalidoss, who regularly uses this stretch, said.
"Merger work will completed soon,"the highway official reiterated, rejecting claims that the present arrangement would cause accidents.
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