CHENNAI: Residents and commuters of Ramapuram’s Valluvar Salai have been struggling with severe traffic congestion for months due to the slow progress of the ongoing storm water drain (SWD) construction work.

Hundreds of school and college buses ply on Valluvar Salai, a key stretch in Ramapuram, as the area is part of an education hub.

Institutions like SRM Institute of Science and Technology, and also SRM Dental College are located nearby, leading to heavy student traffic during peak hours. The road space has further narrowed due to SWD construction, worsening the already chaotic situation.

Residents alleged that the work was progressing at a snail’s pace. “The construction has damaged the support of my building. This has been going on for a long time. Four years ago, the previous government completed the drain work, but it started again six months ago. It has affected our business badly. We want to close our shop for a month,” lamented Rajan, a shop owner on Valluvar Salai.

An auto driver, Ravi, said, “The only solution to ease this traffic congestion is to make this road a one-way route.”

When contacted, Ward 155 Councillor K Raju told DT Next, “Valluvar Salai is a critical area as a Metro Water pipeline runs beneath. It cannot be damaged during the SWD construction. Also, an EB transformer has to be relocated, which has caused delays in the SWD project.”