Half-hearted and half-baked: Key road projects in Chennai stuck due to red tape

Key Road Infrastructure Projects Across The City Remain Stuck Due To Red Tape Even Though Tamil Nadu Govt Claims Speedy Progress
The state highways department’s claim that road expansion-cum-upgradation work is being completed at a record pace is far from the truth. A reality check by TOI reveals that several key road projects in Chennai either remain pending or have missed their deadlines, except the Anna Salai elevated corridor.A look at the projects mired in red tape:



WEST
Nearly 10 years ago, the govt announced widening of a 22-km stretch between Padi and Thirunindravur on the Chennai-Tirupathi High (CTH) Road for `158 crore. A survey at that time said more than one lakh vehicles used this road daily. This number has since increased significantly but there has been little progress, except installation of streetlights and medians, on the project. “Periodically, they take measurements for widening the road to 150 feet and clearing encroachments. When we asked officials, they admitted that no steps have been taken to acquire additional land for the project,” said S Suresh, president of United Welfare Associations, Ambattur. At the west end of this project, the govt is constructing a railway bridge at Pattabiram since 10 years. The `52crore project was delayed due to a shortage of labour and construction material. As a result, motorists take a detour via Outer Ring Road, and many MTC buses have to skip this stretch. Highway engineers say NABARD is scheduled to complete the approach road work in another four months.
SOUTH
Vehicles queuing at Perungalathur is now a familiar sight. The rotary-shaped flyover on GST Road was to open in 2010, but only one half of it is operational. The project was planned along with the new Tambaram Eastern Bypass to allow vehicles from Madipakkam and Thiruvanmiyur to avoid the Tambaram-Velachery Road and leave the city with ease. The 8.8- km project, which connects Rajakilpakkam junction with Perungalathur, is stuck due delays in shifting a power substation and diverting forest land.
ECR AND OMR
Every weekend, it takes an hour for cars to cross the 9km Akkarai-Thiruvanmiyur stretch on ECR. Delays have pushed land acquisition cost up by a staggering 210%, currently at `1,099 crore. Highway officials said settlements are being made with private landowners on one side, but the actual problem hindering road widening work is Metrowater projects. The govt is laying sewage pipes and desalination lines on either side of ECR near Kottivakkam, Injambakkam, and Akkarai. Additionally, two bridges are being built on OMR at Madhya Kailash (L-shaped) and TIDEL Park junctions. “The construction quality is substandard, the scaffolds look as if they can collapse any moment,” said S Sadish, a resident of Thoraipakkam.
State’s highways record more accidents than NHs
Last week, the government claimed to have completed 1,100 out of 1,600 road safety projects across the state. However, road accident data reveals a troubling trend: State highways now report more accidents compared to national highways, with nearly 23,100 accidents occurring on state roads compared to 17,000 on NHAI roads last year. This increase is attributed to lack of proper lighting, bad speed control measures and poorlypaved shoulders on highways. “Most of these accidents occur on two-lane roads connecting villages or towns to the nearest district headquarters, with the outskirts of Chennai being particularly prone to such incidents,” said S Kamal, a transportation activist. The state highways department says that its official app, Namma Salai, has helped achieve its goal of ‘pothole-free roads,’ as complaints are resolved within 24 to 72 hours. According to an official statement on Saturday, 2,130 grievances have been addressed through this app. However, even within the city, several roads maintained by the department are in a bad shape. This includes Tambaram-Velachery Road, CTH Road, and portions of ECR.


Arappor Iyakkam to audit bad roads
In Feb this year, a daily wage worker died when he was thrown off his bike after hitting an unmarked speed-breaker at Chitlapakkam. The stretch had no streetlights or reflectors, and the speed-breaker was not visible to the biker, leading to his death. To address these concerns, anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam is launching a campaign urging the public to inspect and report dangerous road conditions.
The campaign will address several issues that make roads unsafe: potholes, illegal speed breakers, missing silt catch-pits and non-compliance with Indian Road Congress (IRC) guidelines. The NGO will compile these findings into a report for the government and demand action to fix the roads.
“In Madipakkam, Metrowater work remains unfinished, leaving roads in a bad shape for months. In Perumbakkam, government efforts to relay roads have made little progress, despite calling for tenders,” said Jayaram Venkatesan, Arappor Iyakkam convenor.
“Our primary focus is on illegal speed-breakers. People need to know the IRC guidelines to hold the government and contractors accountable and demand corrective measures.”
The audit will also evaluate the condition and quality of manhole covers. “Manhole covers must withstand heavy weight without breaking,” Venkatesan said.
“Our campaign will assess the materials used for these covers.” In Perambur, cast iron manhole covers have been stolen, said Raghukumar C, convenor of the Perambur Neighbourhood Development Forum. “The govt must ensure these iron lids, bought with public money, are not stolen.”
Arappor Iyakkam is calling on residents to join the campaign which begins on June 15 at 5pm at its Nungambakkam office. “Anyone interested in auditing roads can participate. In two weeks, we will compile a report and submit it to the government for action,” Venkatesan said.