Chennai Citizen Connect: Traffic, potholes render Vada Agaram Road unusable

CHENNAI: A narrow stretch of Vada Agaram Road from Kendriya Vidyalaya to the point where it links with Nelson Manickam Road has turned into a traffic bottleneck through most hours of the day.

The road, lined with small commercial establishments, Gill Nagar Park, and eateries, handles a volume of traffic far beyond what it was built to carry, according to the residents.

“This road is always choked. It sees more vehicles than the road width can handle. Customers find it difficult to reach the hotel,” said a hotel owner on the street. “It will be really helpful if this is made a one-way stretch,” he added.

The problem is compounded by vehicles, mostly two-wheelers parked along the edges, leaving barely any space for cars to move. “Whenever a school van or a mini truck enters, it gets stuck. People park their bikes on the road, making the ride even more difficult,” said Harish, a daily commuter who travels from this stretch to Ashok Nagar. “Thankfully, there are some shortcuts nearby, but only regular commuters are aware of them,” he added.

In recent days, portions of the road have been dug up for sewage repairs, rendering the road dustier and unusable, thereby adding more to the commuters’ woes. Though works have been carried out in patches, the roads that have been dug up are yet to be re-laid.

Ward councillors in the stretch acknowledged the grievances and said the road would be laid within a month.

However, commuters and residents said that the traffic is getting worse all through the day, and unless the road gets some enforced traffic regulations, the situation will remain the same.