CHENNAI: Traffic congestion has intensified in T Nagar following the diversion of vehicles from Anna Salai to Giriappa Road due to the ongoing flyover construction. Parallel stormwater drain works on the same stretch have further constricted road space and slowed vehicular movement, causing long delays for commuters.
The State Highways Department is constructing a 3.2 km flyover on Anna Salai from Teynampet to Saidapet. As part of traffic management measures, the Traffic Police diverted a large volume of vehicles towards Giriappa Road in T Nagar.
However, the Greater Chennai Corporation has also begun construction of stormwater drains on the road, resulting in partial barricading and narrowing of the already limited carriageway.
Residents and motorists said Giriappa Road is a relatively narrow residential street that was never designed to handle sustained traffic from a major arterial corridor such as Anna Salai.
With buses, cars and two-wheelers now using the stretch throughout the day, congestion has become routine, particularly during morning and evening peak hours.
Suriya Karthikeyan, a resident of Giriappa Road, said the concurrent execution of the two projects had severely worsened the situation.
“This road cannot handle the diverted traffic. With the drain work also in progress, the usable road width has shrunk, leading to frequent bottlenecks and long tailbacks,” he said.
Motorist Manimaran said traffic queues extend nearly two km from the Nandanam signal to Anna Arivalayam during office hours, with commuters spending considerable time negotiating the narrow stretch. “It has become a nightmare to cross this area every day.
The stormwater drainage work has only added to our difficulties,” he said, questioning why the civic body could not have sequenced the drain works after completion of the flyover project.