State Highways dept proposes RUB at Vanuvampet junction

CHENNAI: In a move to ease traffic congestion in Velachery, St Thomas Mount and Vanuvampet, the State Highways department will soon construct a Road Under Bridge (RUB) at the junction connecting Mount-Medavakkam Road and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai (Velachery-Alandur Road).

The proposed RUB will be 290 metres long and 25.2 metres wide including the side service road and drain-cum-footpath. “It is a long pending demand from the residents because the traffic often gets jammed in the junction due to the absence of a traffic signal. We realised after the construction of MRTS station near the junction that it will be chaotic. An estimate has been prepared for the RUB and we are awaiting administrative sanction from the government for land acquisition,” said the concerned official from Highways department.

After the construction of the RUB, motorists driving towards Kilkattalai from St Thomas Mount railway station can take the underway and those going towards Velachery can take the service road. Work is expected to begin anywhere between 8-10 months, after getting the nod from the government.

Residents say the officials must address the issue of flooding while constructing the RUB. “Thillai Ganga Nagar subway which is very close to this RUB  gets flooded even after light showers and turns non-motorable. Accidents happen every day during monsoons as motorists skid on the wet surface and the same must not repeat in this RUB. It will only increase the traffic snarls,” said PS Ramakrishnan, a resident of Velachery.

Also, regular motorists urge for speedy completion of the project as the junction currently is closed with barricades. Motorists travelling towards both Thillai Ganga Nagar subway and Velachery from St. Thomas Mount and Vanuvampet junction respectively, are forced to take a roundabout of one kilometre for a U-turn with the gaps between the medians shut using barricades.

“Motorists going towards Velachery station from Vanuvampet are now taking the wrong direction for 200 metres, instead of taking a roundabout of 1.5 kilometres to reach the other side. Metro Water lorries too are often seen following this. As a result, traffic snarls are getting hectic during peak hours in the morning and evening,” said Yogesh Kumar, a resident of Madipakkam.

New RUB
To come up at Vanuvampet junction connecting Mount-Medavakkam Road and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai (Velachery-Alandur Road)
Length: 290 m, Overall Width: 25.2 m, Road Under Bridge: 13.7m, Side service road on either side: 3.75m, Drain-cum-footpath on either sides: 2m,Design: Carriage twin box with intermediate lane