CHENNAI: Motorists using Kamarajar Salai in Manali have raised concerns over the poor condition of the road, which connects Madhavaram Milk Colony Road and Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL).
Several parts of the nearly three km-long road are riddled with potholes, rendering parts of it non-motorable and prompting residents to urge the State Highways Department to expedite the long-pending road widening and relaying work.
Residents said hundreds of motorists from Chinna Sekkadu, Periyathope, Mathur, Vimalapuram, Edapalayam and other neighbourhoods use Kamarajar Salai daily to reach Madhavaram Milk Colony, Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, and CPCL. Though the area has seen rapid growth with the presence of industries, schools and colleges, the road-widening project has been pending for more than five years.
“Every day, more than 3,000 factory employees, along with school and college students, use Kamarajar Salai, making it a busy thoroughfare during morning and evening peak hours,” said S Sarath Kumar, a resident of Chinna Sekkadu.
He added that despite repeated representations, officials had only widened one junction. With the Manali and Madhavaram lakes now developed as recreational spaces attracting visitors from neighbouring areas, widening the road had become essential, he opined.
Babu, another resident of Manali, said the road condition had worsened in the past two months. “Multiple potholes have made commuting difficult. Commercial establishments along the narrow stretch have eaten into the carriageway. Re-laying the road will help ease traffic congestion on Kamarajar Salai,” he said.
When asked, a Greater Chennai Corporation official said the State Highways Department was responsible for the maintenance of the road. The official pointed out that patchwork had been carried out before the inauguration of the Manali and Madhavaram lake boating facilities on either side of Kamarajar Salai.
A State Highways Department official said the proposal for widening and re-laying Kamarajar Salai was under consideration and that steps would be taken soon to implement the project.