Residents of Maduravoyal have lodged a police complaint seeking action against authorities for delaying the repair work of the damaged stretch of the Chennai - Bengaluru Highway (NH 4) between Vanagaram and Poonamallee.
The stretch has been in shambles for several months now. It may be recalled that residents of Maduravoyal and Thiruverkadu and members of the Tamil Nadu State Sand Lorry Owners’ Federation had even resorted to carry out repair work as a mark of protest in January.
As there has not been much progress, residents have now lodged a complaint with the police. Residents complained that patchwork done does not last for even a few months and accidents occurred due to huge craters on the road.
B. Varadarajan, president, Federation of Maduravoyal Residents’ Welfare Association said officials cited the poll code as the reason for not taking up the repair work. “But, they must at least start patch work on the damaged portions of the road. The proposed widening into six lanes is also yet to start,” he said.
S. Yuvaraj, president, Tamil Nadu State Sand Lorry Owners’ Federation said the pot holes-ridden stretches near Vanagaram junction and Poonamallee posed a huge risk to the road users. There was space of minimum of 20 feet on either side of the road. Motorists often rode on the muddy service lanes to avoid traffic and this too led to accidents.
Though National Highways Authority of India officials had assured that the concrete road would be laid in a few months during the protest in January, nothing has been done so far. Officials of NHAI said that the work estimated at a cost of ₹10 crore had been awarded to a contractor.
“We are unable to sign the agreement due to election code of conduct. We have written to the Election Commission seeking exemption considering the urgency of the works. We have planned to lay the service lane in the Velappanchavady and Poonamallee stretches and divert traffic to take up concreting work. Temporary repair works do not last due to high volume of traffic and use by heavy vehicles,” the official explained.
The work to concrete 400 metres at both junctions will take two months to complete.