To reduce the vehicle congestion and to ease the traffic, another flyover was built adjacent to the old one and opened for use a few years ago. In fact, it was the last flyover inaugurated by the late Chief Minster J Jayalalithaa, said sources. However, since then the old flyover has not been given its due attention, complain motorists. The flyover has been riddled with potholes and since heavy vehicles have no other options but to use the road, the basic concrete structure of the flyover, too, is said to have been damaged. 

“Passing by the flyover has become a nightmare for motorists like us. When the heavy vehicles run over the potholes, it looks like the driver may lose control of the vehicle any moment,” said Vinoth, who uses the flyover to go to Ennore on a daily basis.

After the new flyover was opened, the old one is primarily used by tanker trucks carrying gasoline from Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation units in Athipattu as using the new flyover means additional three kilometres. A lorry driver said that the railings on either side of the flyover have been covered up in bushes, it is difficult to manoeuvre the fully-loaded vehicles on the flyover due to the absence of the reflectors.  

When inquired, residents of Athipattu said that the entire link road, including the flyover, is maintained by the North Chennai Thermal Power Station. But since the construction of the flyover, the authorities stopped paying attention to the old flyover, they complained.   When contacted, power plant official sources said that they would take up the grievance to higher officials.