Slow progress of overbridge work worsens traffic congestion on Kamaraj Salai

The construction of a road overbridge (ROB) over Uppar drain on the busy Kamaraj Salai has brought daily traffic to a crawl especially near the GRT junction, with commuters facing delays and congestion spilling all the way to the Thiruvalluvar Salai.

The road overbridge (ROB), originally conceived in 2005-06, to connect the busy arterial stretches of Kamaraj Salai and Maraimalai Adigal Salai, was hanging fire for several years due to various reasons, including administrative lapses, arbitration, and lack of funds.

The ₹29.25 crore project, was revived last year, after almost a delay of two decades, with one side of the carriageway already blocked for construction. While congestion has already increased during peak hours, residents fear the situation could worsen once schools reopen.

According to G. Kumaravelu, a resident, “This stretch is a perfect example of how poor planning and slow execution can paralyse traffic on an arterial road. There is often little to no visible traffic police presence when congestion peaks during peak hours. They have dug up the road extensively and left it in a terrible state. There is no coordination and the entire stretch has become a mess.”

According to M. Bhaskar, “Vehicles converging from 45-feet Road and Thiruvalluvar Salai at this intersection causes chaos. It could take few more months for the ROB to be completed and the residents have to bear the brunt. Worse than the traffic congestion is the heavy dust pollution at the construction site, causing major problems for road users.”

The bridge was designed to be 732-metre-long with two-lane capacity. When construction came to a halt in 2019, 632 metres of the bridge was completed and the portion linking the bridge to the point near Newton Theatre on Maraimalai Adigal Salai was left incomplete.

The ROB is to cater to two lane traffic with 7.5 metre carriageway and 1.5 metre raised footpaths on either side. There will also be provision for service ducts below the footpath. Along with the construction of the bridges, work has also been taken up to strengthen the drain for increasing its carriage capacity. The drainage system along the ROB would also be strengthened, the official added.

According to a Police official, “The stretch witnesses frequent VIP movement and with one side of the road being used for two-way traffic, congestion has become rampant during peak hours. The reopening of schools could increase traffic pressure on the stretch. Right now, we have deployed additional personnel on the stretch. The only solution is for the work to be completed as soon as possible.”