CHENNAI: In a major push for safer roads in Chennai, the Highways Department is set to take up road safety improvement works on several accident-prone corridors under the Chennai–Kanniyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) Project, supported by the Asian Development Bank.
The proposed road safety works cover over 47.36 km of busy urban roads, including the southern sector of the Inner Ring Road (SH2A), Velachery bypass road (SH48C), the Velachery–Tambaram stretch of SH48, the Chennai–Ennore Expressway Road (SH1), Taramani Link Road (SH48B) and Pallavaram–Thoraipakkam Road (SH109).
Through detailed road safety audits and crash data analysis, several blackspot-prone and high-risk stretches were identified along these corridors, said officials, adding that fatalities and serious injuries could be reduced by addressing design flaws, unsafe junctions, and poor pedestrian infrastructure.
The safety upgrade package focuses on fixing basic design and operational gaps that expose pedestrians and two-wheeler riders to risk. The works include construction of new footpaths, repair and protection of existing footpaths with steel railings, raised pedestrian crossings and tabletop crossings at busy locations, and provision of at-grade crossings near bus stops, schools, and hospitals.
To reduce dangerous turning movements, traffic islands will be created or extended, and several median openings will be closed or channelised using jersey barriers. On select corridors, curve widening and alignment corrections will be taken up to improve turning radii for heavy vehicles.
A key element of the plan is speed-calming measures. Speed breakers will be installed near pedestrian-heavy zones, solar blinkers will alert motorists at major junctions and conflict points, and radar-based dynamic speed display boards will nudge drivers to slow down.
Visibility and guidance for motorists will also be improved through fresh lane markings, reflective road studs, hazard markers, chevron signs on curves, and a full set of warning, stop and speed limit signage. Bus stop markings and wayfinding boards will be added to improve order at bus stops and when turning.
Officials said the corridor-based approach marks a shift from ad hoc spot fixes to comprehensive safety planning, with interventions tailored to the risk profile of each stretch.
Pedestrian knockdowns and rear-end crashes dominate on the stretch between GST Road and Velachery on Inner Ring Road, especially near terminal junctions and dense residential pockets such as Nanganallur and Adambakkam.
The Velachery bypass road, which handles heavy commercial and bus traffic, has recorded a high share of rear-end and side-impact crashes, while pedestrians are particularly vulnerable in stretches where footpaths are encroached upon or discontinuous. Speeding remains a key concern on this corridor.
On the Velachery–Tambaram stretch of SH48, a major arterial road with flyovers and interchanges, crash records show a large number of fatal and grievous injury cases. Pedestrian crashes are clustered in several pockets, with front-rear collisions frequent along the long, straight stretches.
Similarly, the Pallavaram–Thoraipakkam Road has seen a high density of crashes, many of them fatal or causing grievous injuries, owing to high speeds, multiple junctions and poor pedestrian access near lakes, marshland stretches and ongoing construction zones. The Chennai–Ennore Expressway Road and Taramani Link Road have also been flagged for unsafe median openings, risky turning movements, encroached footpaths and poor compliance with lane discipline.
High number of fatal and grievous injury crashes
Pedestrian knockdowns near junctions and bus stops
Unsafe median openings and risky turning movements
Encroached or broken footpaths
Speeding on long straight stretches
New and upgraded footpaths with railings
Raised and at-grade pedestrian crossings
Traffic islands and median closures
Speed breakers and solar blinkers
Radar-based speed display boards
Improved lane markings, road studs and signage
Chennai road safety upgrade plan
Avg crashes: 6 per km
Severity: Over 50% serious injuries; over 10% fatal
Hotspots: GST Rd junction, Velachery railway station junction
Major crash types: Pedestrian knockdowns, rear-end collisions
Avg crashes: 9 per km
Hotspots: Guru Nanak junction
Major crash types: Rear-end, side-impact, Pedestrian risk near encroached footpaths
Speed issue: Operating speeds high for commercial corridor
Avg crashes: 9 per km
Severity: Over 70% fatal or grievous
Major crash types: Pedestrian, front-rear
Hotspots: Medavakkam stretch, dense residential pockets
Avg crashes: 10 per km
Severity: Over 60% fatal or grievous
Major crash types: Front-rear, front-side
Key risks: High speeds, junction conflicts, poor footpaths
Total crashes: 64
Severity: Over 45% fatal or grievous
Major crash types: Frontal-side at junctions, median gaps
Hotspots: No proper pedestrian facilities on long stretches
Severity: Nearly 40% grievous or fatal
Major crash types: Pedestrian, rear-end, side-impact
Hotspots: Pedestrian risks at crossings near school, hospital, bus terminal