CMRL work leaves stretches of Arcot Road in poor shape

For 45-year-old A. Balaji, a resident of Kundrathur, the commute on his two-wheeler via Arcot Road is nothing short of a nightmare. “The entire stretch from Vadapalani to Porur is in such bad shape that I must carefully manoeuvre my bike so as to not lose balance. Last week, one of my close friends had a fall at Virugambakkam. Thankfully, he escaped with minor bruises,” he says.

Ever since the Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II project work commenced along Arcot Road to construct one of the corridors — Poonamallee to Light House via Porur and Vadapalani — thousands of commuters have been struggling to commute on Arcot Road.

While it had already been difficult to travel along the road due to reduced width, it is further exacerbated by poor condition of road, construction vehicles stationed at some points and materials strewn on road corners in some locations.

Traffic congestion

While at Vadapalani junction, it is tough for commuters to navigate the traffic congestion, at Saligramam, the patchwork done by the Chennai Metro Rail’s contractor is uneven and makes for an uncomfortable ride.

At many locations in Virugambakkam and Valasaravakkam, the road is damaged and riddled with craters.

This aside, gravel is scattered over the road too. In some places, the difference in height between the main and side lanes make the ride difficult for the commuters. 

In a few locations, the construction materials are also dumped along the road. Due to lack of space, huge construction vehicles are stationed in a few areas on the road, which further shrinks the carriageway. 

‘No space to walk’

S. Parimala, a resident of Virugambakkam says, “The pedestrians have absolutely no space to walk and it is dangerous just to cross the road since the construction materials occupy the median space. Vehicles can take a U-turn wherever they please. We are waiting with bated breath for this construction work to be over.” 

With the monsoon approaching, commuters say, it will be even more challenging to drive through Arcot Road. Mr. Balaji adds, “One can never know where there is a pothole if there is water stagnation.”

Limited width

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) officials say they are working with limited road width and hence it is quite a challenge to carry out the work.

“Majority of the work happens at midnight since that is when we have permission. Within that time frame, we are trying to finish the work as soon as possible. We were carrying out repair work as and when the roads are damaged. Now, with construction work fast approaching completion, we have handed over the road laying to Greater Chennai Corporation and Highways Department,” an official says.