Chennai: What used to be a 15-minute drive between Tambaram railway station and Camp Road now takes nearly 40 minutes during peak hours, as the ongoing Metrowater work and a badly damaged carriageway turn the 3.5km stretch of Velachery-Tambaram High Road into a daily ordeal for motorists.The stretch, from the eastern entrance of Tambaram railway station to Camp Road junction, has remained riddled with patches and potholes for more than three months. The road, originally around 80ft wide, is now reduced to about 40ft of usable carriageway at several points, with the remaining portion either dug up for underground sewerage works or reduced to a mud-and-sand surface.The road is a key link between GST Road and Velachery, passing through Medavakkam and Pallikaranai, and carries around 1,000 vehicles per hour. The ongoing work involves constructing underground sewerage connections to areas including Selaiyur, Valmiki Street, and interior parts of Chromepet. “Every day, at least 10 bikers skid and fall due to the uneven surface. One side of the road is at least a foot lower than the other. When MTC buses occupy the better portion of the road, two-wheeler riders overtaking or moving to the side are forced onto the mud and uneven surface and often skid,” said S Madhan Kumar, a Gandhi Nagar resident.
Roadwork worsens motorist woes on Velachery-Tambaram High Road
Pedestrians also face difficulties as the road lacks continuous pavement or a dedicated pedestrian crossing facility along the stretch. Residents said they had been requesting pavements up to the Camp Road junction for more than three years. “Unlike OMR or Radial Road, there is no skywalk here for pedestrians to cross the road, and there are no proper pavements. Eateries also occupy the roadside and use it for parking. The officials should take action against these issues,” said Mohammed Shamsudeed, a resident.Metrowater officials said underground sewerage work had not stalled and that 75% of the work has been completed. The remaining work is expected to be finished by mid-Oct. M Thirunavukarasu, divisional engineer, highways department, said the areas where work is ongoing have been barricaded. “Once the work is completed, the road will be relaid and the patches will be fixed.”
