Two revamped subways likely to be opened for public this month

The subways located outside Sacred Heart Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Church Park, and near the intersection of Greams Road and Anna Salai were closed and taken up for renovation in March 2018 after the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) completed tunnelling works in the Washermenpet-Airport section.

The five-decade-old subways were taken up for the much-needed renovation as its entry and exit points had gone below the road level over the years. “The old structure was fully demolished and a modern facility has been built in its place. As part of the renovation, the walls abutting the staircases, exterior and interiors have also been replaced by toughened glass akin to the subway outside the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital,” said a senior Highways Department official.

The damaged flooring has been replaced and interior lighting enhanced with LED bulbs. The subway would also have rust-free steel handles and ramps for physically-challenged persons. In order to enhance the security at the underpass, the Highways Department has decided to install CCTV cameras with night-vision features, too. “We are planning to install CCTV cameras in the rest of the 11 subways maintained by the department in the city,” the official said.

S Sundararajan, a private company employee at Thousand Lights, said that unlike other stretches along the Anna Salai, it is impossible for pedestrians to cross the road between Gemini flyover and Anand Theatre due to heavy flow of traffic. “The pedestrian facility should be opened without any further delay,” he said.