CHENNAI: Vijayanagar junction has been a nightmare for road users for five years now, ever since work on the flyover began, but the recent rain has made things worse. Till Friday afternoon, an MTC bus that had sunk in the mud under the flyover during the rain added to the chaos. There is no road on a long stretch on the Taramani-Pallikaranai section. What there is resembles an obstacle course at one of the more difficult motorsport rallies.
“Potholes, pending drain work, cement and debris have worsened traffic on the road which we usually use to reach Thiruvanmiyur,” said Dr Keerthana Rao, a resident of the area.
Work on the Rs 92crore flyover began in 2015. “In the centre of the road, concrete and debris has been placed. The authorities are aware that this is a busy stretch, yet there is no planning. The authorities could have easily ensured double shifts to at least complete work at major bottlenecks,” said V Rama Rao of Traffic and Transportation Forum, Chennai. The section from Velachery bypass road till the MRTS station was the worst. “We suggested shifting the bus terminus to a vacant plot near the MRTS station to ensure speedy completion of the project,” he said.
Sami Ayyah, an auto driver in the area, said almost every day someone suffered a fall or a minor accident took place. “The past 15 days have been the worst. We are sure before elections they will lay the road. This type of haphazard work without any planning puts people’s lives at risk,” he said.
Highways officials said Metrowater is laying a sewage pipeline along the stretch from Vijaynagar bus stand till Taramani junction. “We are waiting for them to complete the work. Even after the pipeline is laid, they will conduct tests for leakages and only after that can we lay the road. We hope at least around the bus stand area, work will be complete in a week’s time, after which we will complete roadwork,” said an official.