Despite Chennai dodging severe cyclonic storm Montha, motorists were put to hardship mainly due to the many potholes dotting almost all roads, be it arterial, interior, or bus route stretches, as a result of the recent rain.
With the city not receiving heavy rainfall but only steady showers and drizzles through the day, there was no major inundation even in usually flood-prone areas, but the rain exposed the bad road infrastructure, especially in places with ongoing civic work. “Rajiv Gandhi Salai is so battered almost everywhere that there is not just one bad point to mention,” said Harsha Koda, co-founder, Fomrra.
“There is waterlogging on the road, especially just after SRP Tools. The stretch near Corporation Road in Perungudi has been awful for a long time, and so also near the now defunct toll plaza. The various agencies should have taken steps to prevent damage caused by water stagnation on the arterial road before the monsoon,” he said.
a worker patching up the recently laid Tambaram-Velachery Road in Pallikaranai on Tuesday, after it was damaged due to rain.
| Photo Credit:
R. Ravindran
G. Satish of Semmencheri said some portions of Rajiv Gandhi Salai were in bad shape owing to Metro Rail work. “This often causes traffic congestion during peak hours, and the portions are in dire need of repairs. Interior roads of Semmencheri have been left damaged following Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) projects, which are almost complete,” he said.
“OMR-ECR Link Road has large craters at the beginning and driving on it is like a roller coaster ride,” said Jayesh, who visited a nearby hospital. S. Padmanabhan of Adyar said Sardar Patel Road beneath the flyover near the Aavin junction was in a bad shape. “The road has continuous potholes for about 200 m, which slows down vehicle movement on such an important road. The road is also in bad condition near the flower shops too,” he said.
Put to hardship
Meanwhile, motorists have a tough time navigating the pothole-ridden Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road from Padi to Ambattur.
S. Suresh, president, United Welfare Associations, Ambattur, said indudation made it difficult to navigate the stretch, putting motorists at risk of accidents. “We have been demanding laying of First Main Road and West End Road in Thiruvengada Nagar for the past three years. These were previously blacktopped in 2013,” he said. Madhanankuppam Road, which connects Retteri with Ambattur, too is in a bad shape, adding to the woes of motorists who want to avoid traffic on arterial roads.
The residents of Agaramthen area located adjacent to Tambaram faced severe inconveniences due to the bad condition of roads. R. Murugesh, a resident of Kasbapuram, said the motorists faced severe inconvenience after the road at Balram Nagar, which was already damaged, was blocked with construction debris. The residents say Ganesh Nagar Main Road and roads in Krishna Nagar are also facing bad road condition for several years.
For motorists using Nanganallur 1st Main Road to access Inner Ring Road leading to the Thillai Ganga Nagar subway, the poor restoration work of dumping concrete debris for the storm-water drain project has been a problem as only one portion of the narrow road can be currently used.
In Velachery, Bharani Street, which is the main access road to the Perungudi railway station, is full of potholes. With the flyover work on the arterial Anna Salai, there were a few stretches between Saidapet to Teynampet junction, where the road has been broken with potholes, and repair work was being taken up, leading to slow movement of traffic.
Most areas in T. Nagar did not have any stagnant water, and life continued as normal. Many areas such as Pondy Bazaar and main roads such as G.N. Chetty Road and Venkatanarayana Road were not inundated. However, many roads parallel to the busy market areas were in poor state as many had potholes. Pedestrians had a tough time as well due to stagnant puddles and no footpaths. With it raining through the day, commuting became a struggle in many parts of Anna Nagar.
Corporation workers draining rainwater from a street using a pump at Roja Nagar in Madhavaram on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement
Rainwater stagnated for brief periods, especially on some interior roads riddled with potholes, making it risky for vehicles to navigate stretches such as 16th Main Road, those branching off from 18th Main Road, and the parallel roads of 2nd and 4th Avenues. It also causes bumper-to-bumper traffic during peak hours. Construction work on many interior roads, along with materials dumped on the roadside, exacerbated traffic congestion.
Higher cab fares
Amid this, app-based cabs and autorickshaws also demanded higher fares.
Murali, a resident of Valasaravakkam, said that Arcot Road was in a terrible shape due to poor patchwork carried out alongside the Metro Rail construction. He added that it had become dangerous to drive on the stretch, especially while driving with children, since several schools were located along the road. “Some key roads in K.K. Nagar, such as Natesan Road and Lakshmanaswamy Salai, are also in bad shape. They were dug up for CMWSSB work but never properly closed,” he added.
Published – October 29, 2025 12:22 am IST
