Delay in flyover work throws traffic out of gear

With the flyover missing several deadlines, the construction has not sped up and theproblem of vehicles piling up during peak hours has become a daily affair.

The flyover is coming up at a crucial intersection of the Jawaharlal Nehru Salai and Perambur Red Hills Road. It already has a 540-metre long unidirectional flyover, in which traffic flows from Koyambedu side. The one under construction for traffic from the other direction — Moolakadai to Anna Nagar stretch — was supposed to be completed by March this year after last year’s July deadline.

S Dhanasekar, a resident of Puzhal, said that traffic snarls happen on a daily basis in the busy junction during morning and evening peak hours.“The inordinate delay in the construction of the second flyover is causing heavytraffic congestion. It takes nearly 20 to 25 minutes to cross the junction,” he said.

Paper Mills Road (PMR), which connects Retteri junction with Perambur, is a narrow one. “Vehicles pile up near Rettari junction on the Paper Mills road due to the parking of share autos,” he said, urging the Highways Department to take steps to widen the Paper Mills Road, at least near the junction to ensure the free flow of traffic.

An official in the Highways Department blamed the initial delay in the shifting of utility lines for missing the deadlines. The construction had slowed down initially due to delay in shifting of overhead power cables, streetlight poles and underground sewer mains. Redesigning was also necessitated at a few spots since they found concrete structures, at a depth of six metres, when they dug for the foundation.

The first phase of the flyover was thrown open for traffic in December 2016. A pedestrian subway is also under construction across Jawaharlal Nehru Road. While Rs 52.75 crore was earmarked for the bridge and the subway, the flyover on the Madhavaram Bypass to Anna Nagar stretch is being constructed at a cost of Rs 29.12 crore.