Tension prevailed as authorities removed encroachments, primarily petty shops and bunks, on Ambour Salai on Thursday morning.
In spite of protests, a team of officials from the Revenue, Public Works and Police departments cleared 13 illegal shops on the road that flanks one side of the Grand Canal. The drive was based on the directions of the Road Safety Committee.
According to a PWD official, the action followed after notices were duly served on the encroachers to remove the structures.
As an hydraulic crane moved in, some traders lay down on the road in protest. They demanded two more weeks to remove the shops. The police removed the protesters and released them later in the day.
The police barricaded Ambour Salai, which is one-way, for a few hours.
According to a PWD official, 16 other shops on the stretch from the Uzhavar Santhai (farmers market) to the South Boulevard had been served notice for encroaching on public space and action would be initiated if they failed to comply.