Chennai Citizen Connect: Non-functional streetlights render Tidel Park U-turn bridge dangerous

CHENNAI: Motorists face a heightened risk of accidents at the newly opened U-turn flyover opposite Tidel Park in Tiruvanmiyur, as non-functional streetlights have left the stretch in darkness at night.

The Tidel Park signal is one of the largest and most congested junctions in the city, connecting Tiruvanmiyur Road to the Rajiv Gandhi IT Expressway (OMR). To reduce traffic congestion at this busy interchange, the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company Limited (TNRDC) constructed a U-turn flyover for Rs 27.50 crore last year, which has significantly reduced traffic in the stretch.

However, in recent days, motorists have been facing difficulties while using the flyover at night due to non-functional streetlights. The poor lighting conditions have raised safety concerns.

Motorist Prabhakaran said the flyover has a sharp turn and connects two directions, one is CSIR Road and the other is a U-turn. "When you cross the bridge in complete darkness at night, it becomes difficult to navigate and take the turn. There is a high possibility of new motorists meeting with accidents at this section," he noted.

Another motorist, Kathiravan, said the flyover helps avoid heavy traffic in the daytime, but poor lighting has become a serious issue. "For the past two days, the streetlights have not been functioning properly, making it difficult to drive safely at night," he noted.

When DT Next sought an explanation, an official from the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company Limited said the issue was due to a technical fault. "The streetlights on the bridge were not functioning properly due to a technical issue, but we are working to fix the problem at the earliest," the official said, adding that a monitoring system is in place to detect prolonged outages.