CHENNAI: The busy Tank Bund Road in Nungambakkam is a vital link for thousands of motorists travelling via Nelson Manickam Road, Sterling Road and Mahalingapuram Main Road to reach T Nagar, Choolaimedu and nearby areas. But now, navigating the stretch has become a herculean task for commuters and pedestrians after sections of the carriageway were milled and left unattended for over a week.
Motorists noted that the top layer of the road was milled a week ago, but re-laying work has not progressed since then.
With Tank Bund Road being one of the busiest stretches in the area, the uneven surface has led to severe congestion during morning and evening peak hours, slowing vehicular movement and increasing the risk of accidents.
A Piriyan, a college student who uses the pedestrian walkway along the road daily, said, “More than 1,500 students study at the college, and several rely on the walkway to commute. The milled surface throws up dust and makes driving difficult, particularly near the college entrance.”
Another regular user, KS Aravind Janakiraman, pointed out that senior citizens find it difficult to negotiate the uneven surface and often lose balance while driving. "The Greater Chennai Corporation must expedite the stalled work and carry out patchwork in the subway as well," he said.
However, according to the Corporation, the Bus Route Road department has identified 489 roads, including 97 bus route roads, for re-laying over a total length of 96.3 km.
A civic body official said, “Work orders have been issued. As many as 586 road works are scheduled to be completed by March, and the remaining milling on Tank Bund Road will be taken up soon, with re-laying to be completed before Monday.”
Explaining the delay, the official said milling on busy bus route roads had to be done cautiously. While about 1,000 sq. metres could be milled during the designated night hours, up to 4,000 sq. metres could be re-laid in the same time frame, resulting in stretches being left temporarily uneven. After the follow-up from DT Next, one side of the road was relaid on Sunday.