The Hindu : Front Page : Dug up roads a nightmare for motorists

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Sunday, Sep 23, 2007
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Dug up roads a nightmare for motorists

L. Srikrishna

— Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

MESSY AFFAIR: Digging work on Konnur High Road in Aynavaram is posing problems to road users.

CHENNAI: With roads across the city dug up for a host of reasons, including construction of flyovers, sewerage repair and laying of cables and ducts by various agencies, traffic management has come under strain.

Motorists are finding the going tough, particularly on stretches prone to rainwater stagnation, and pressure is building up on the traffic police to maintain order on roads. Describing the works as a necessary evil, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sunil Kumar said at a recent meeting attended by officials of various departments it was decided to dig roads in a phased manner.

Instead of digging the entire stretch in one go and then taking up the work, shorter portions of about 200 metres will be dug. Only after completing the work and filling the dug up portion will the next phase begin. This will limit inconvenience to road users.

Residents of many areas, including Mandaveli, and Usman Road and G.N. Chetty Road in T.Nagar, favour the system, particularly in view of the ensuing monsoon. They point out that many of the works are bound to be delayed by the rain.

The Aynavaram-Konnur High Road, with a substantial portion dug up by various agencies, is one stretch that road users want to be relaid early.

They say the works are under way for over two months. The space available for motorists has more than halved after the digging, says R.Thamotharan, a resident of Aynavaram.

The situation is worse in suburbs and stretches leading to the IT corridor, motorists say.

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