Subway turns nightmare for motorists in Chennai

CHENNAI: Driving on Nungambakkam subway has become a daily adventure for motorists as continuous seepage of rainwater mixed with sewage from the side walls has left the road potholed and slippery.
On Tuesday, senior citizens and women carrying schoolchildren on their bikes were seen struggling in the wet subway. In the night, the potholes are not visible, adding to the danger to road users. S Radhika, a motorist who almost fell in the subway with her daughter, said she is scared every time she passes the subway.
"My daughter is only six and I have to make her stand to my front on the scooter. I can't imagine what would happen if we fall. Speeding vehicles coming from behind Loyola College make it scarier," she said.
The subway has remained battered for more than two months. G Raghunathan, a college student, said heavy vehicles zoom past the craters on the road, leaving those on smaller vehicles and bikes shuddering.
"It's slippery even when travelling at 20kmph. The leak from the walls never stop and the holes on the road have been getting bigger," he said. Recently, at the Korattur subway, several motorists fell due to the slippery surface.
Chief engineer (bridges) S Kalimuthu blamed the traffic police for not giving permission for repair work.
"Vehicle flow here is heavy. If we put concrete to fill the holes, it will take a day or two to dry. We tried to fix the subway months ago, but the traffic police did not give permission. They should do some traffic diversion and give us time to fix it," he said. He assured to fix the subway by Tuesday night.
Chief engineer general S Rajendiran said the concrete needs to be removed and 40mm of concrete has to be put again.