The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Service roads being widened

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Service roads being widened

Kannal Achuthan

Near the junction of Radhakrishnan Salai and TTK Road

Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

SMOOTH RIDE: The compound wall of Amaravathi Restaurant on Radhakrishnan Salai was razed down for a road widening project on Tuesday. —

Chennai: The Chennai Corporation on Tuesday began work to widen the service roads leading to the junction of Radhakrishnan Salai and TTK Road.

Several well-known institutions, including The Music Academy, Hotel New Woodlands, Hotel Savera, Hotel Maris, Hotel Chola Sheraton, TTK Group and Sanmar Group, have parted with strips of land to make way for the widening. The service roads on both sides of the flyover on Radhakrishnan Salai are to be widened.

The road-facing portion of the compound walls of Hotel New Woodlands, Hotel Savera and Amaravathi Restaurant were demolished on Tuesday morning.

Land acquisition

Based on the Corporation’s request, the Chennai Collectorate acquired the land required for the road widening. A total of 20,969 square feet of land was acquired. The Corporation paid Rs.12.27 crore (Rs.5,851 per square feet) for the land.

Most of the institutions have had to give land that was used as parking space. Hotel Maris would have to shift a water sump from the land to be taken over.

A Corporation official said the service road at present was wide enough to accommodate only one four-wheeler and the widened carriageway would have space for at least two four-wheelers. This would improve traffic flow at the junction.

The turning to Alwarpet near the Good Shepherd Church on Radhakrishnan Salai would be splayed so that vehicles can turn the corner easily.

Footpaths proposed

Pedestrian safety concerns have also been addressed in the road expansion project. The width of the service roads would be 7.5 metres, including one metre for footpaths.

As footpaths are the first to be affected by the execution of road widening projects, pedestrians are worried that the widened carriageway for motorised transport would not have space for them. Footpaths on roads usually disappear when flyovers make the service lanes on either side narrow. However, the Corporation has assured that the facility would be provided on the widened stretch.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu