CHENNAI: Long-delayed renovation works at the Gengu Reddy subway near Nehru Park in Egmore and the Nungambakkam subway are set to move into execution mode in the coming weeks, with the Greater Chennai Corporation awaiting final clearance from the Greater Chennai Traffic Police to begin road re-laying and trial runs.
The renovation of the Gengu Reddy subway at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore is expected to begin shortly after the traffic police grants approval.
A corporation official said the traffic police would conduct a week-long trial run within this week to assess traffic diversions and feasibility, following which road repairs would begin.
Electrical works have already been completed, while an NGO is carrying out mural and painting work.
The deadline for completing the full renovation has been set at three months, the official said. Once the road re-laying works are completed, the subway will offer smoother connectivity for those travelling towards Chetpet, Nungambakkam, Poonamallee High Road, and adjoining areas.
Ahead of the northeast monsoon in June 2025, the civic body had floated tenders worth Rs 14.5 crore for the repair of several key subways, including Gengu Reddy, MC Road, Nungambakkam, Harrington Road, Rangarajapuram two-wheeler subway, Korattur, and Villivakkam. While work has been completed in several locations, Gengu Reddy and Nungambakkam subways, which carry more than one lakh vehicles each daily, are pending.
Years of poor maintenance, seepage, and frequent water stagnation have severely damaged the road surfaces in both underpasses, worsening driving conditions.
Residents said the focus should be on durable solutions rather than cosmetic upgrades. D Mani of Chetpet pointed out that there are at least three major potholes inside the subway and that water stagnation has been a recurring problem. He said a permanent, long-term solution was needed instead of temporary patchworks.
Meanwhile, the renovation works at the Nungambakkam subway are scheduled to commence by May. The civic body official said the traffic police had denied permission for immediate work due to heavy peak-hour traffic and that restoration of the Nungambakkam subway would begin during the school summer holidays in May.
At present, there are large potholes, which pose risks to motorists and obstruct traffic. Motorists said renovation work has been pending since August last year, with only sporadic patchworks carried out by the civic body.
John Jebaraj James of Nungambakkam said vehicles moving from Poonamallee High Road towards Sterling Road, T Nagar, and Kodambakkam face heavy congestion during the morning peak hours, while the situation reverses in the evening, with the lane towards Poonamallee High Road witnessing traffic deadlocks.