Commuters have harrowing time to cross the narrow causeway between Saraswathi Nagar in Neelankarai and Thuraipakkam on OMR — DC:
The lack of connectivity between the two critical eastern gateways of the city, East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), that run parallel, causes great hardship to thousands of residents living on either side.
At present, cars, school vans and buses from ECR take a circuitous route either through Tiruvanmiyur or Sholinganallur to join OMR.
“Though OMR is less than a km away, we need to drive over 15 km to reach Thuraipakkam from Neelankarai,” said van operator Ranganathan.
By travelling in a roundabout manner, school students and office-goers lose precious time and sometimes even fail to make it to the destination on time, remarked Ms Jaya, a software professional and mother of two residing in Tiruvanmiyur.
At least six narrow causeways across the Buckingham canal are the only relief for two-wheeler riders. Car drivers are scared to take the route due to the bottlenecks and scratching their vehicle while crossing the narrow causeways.
The local bodies have failed to remove the encroachments on the connecting roads.
Neither the highways department nor the toll-collecting IT corridor authorities bother to enhance the link between the two important roads.
PWD sources said they have commenced replacing the six causeways with bridges at a cost of Rs 60 lakh each.
However, there is no tangible progress on-field. The proposed bridges would not help the commuters in a big way since the width of these bridges cannot accommodate heavy vehicles.
None of the senior officials understands the need for better connectivity of these two major roads.
With exploding growth on the IT corridor, people from ECR are increasingly using the corridor.
“Crossing the causeways is tough due to the stench from the canal and garbage heaps on the approach roads. I don’t know why the authorities keep neglecting these stretches,” complained daily wage earner Ganesan of Saraswathi nagar, in Neelangarai.
Between Tiruvanmiyur and Sholinganallur, the authorities should widen at least two bridges and the approach roads.
“Our problem will be solved only if senior authorities of greater Chennai corporation or highways step in,” said Mr Manikandan, an office-goer of Injambakkam.
The lack of connectivity between the two critical eastern gateways of the city, East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), that run parallel, causes great hardship to thousands of residents living on either side.
At present, cars, school vans and buses from ECR take a circuitous route either through Tiruvanmiyur or Sholinganallur to join OMR.
“Though OMR is less than a km away, we need to drive over 15 km to reach Thuraipakkam from Neelankarai,” said van operator Ranganathan.
By travelling in a roundabout manner, school students and office-goers lose precious time and sometimes even fail to make it to the destination on time, remarked Ms Jaya, a software professional and mother of two residing in Tiruvanmiyur.
At least six narrow causeways across the Buckingham canal are the only relief for two-wheeler riders. Car drivers are scared to take the route due to the bottlenecks and scratching their vehicle while crossing the narrow causeways.
The local bodies have failed to remove the encroachments on the connecting roads.
Neither the highways department nor the toll-collecting IT corridor authorities bother to enhance the link between the two important roads.
PWD sources said they have commenced replacing the six causeways with bridges at a cost of Rs 60 lakh each.
However, there is no tangible progress on-field. The proposed bridges would not help the commuters in a big way since the width of these bridges cannot accommodate heavy vehicles.
None of the senior officials understands the need for better connectivity of these two major roads.
With exploding growth on the IT corridor, people from ECR are increasingly using the corridor.
“Crossing the causeways is tough due to the stench from the canal and garbage heaps on the approach roads. I don’t know why the authorities keep neglecting these stretches,” complained daily wage earner Ganesan of Saraswathi nagar, in Neelangarai.
Between Tiruvanmiyur and Sholinganallur, the authorities should widen at least two bridges and the approach roads.
“Our problem will be solved only if senior authorities of greater Chennai corporation or highways step in,” said Mr Manikandan, an office-goer of Injambakkam.