CHENNAI: Motorists in Avadi have urged State Highways officials to expedite the relaying of a 2 km stretch of the Mount-Poonamallee-Avadi High Road, which has remained milled for over a week, causing significant inconvenience to the public.
The stretch between Chinna Amman Koil and the Avadi check post, which houses the Avadi Corporation office, a busy fish market, a fire and rescue station, and a government hospital, has been witnessing increased traffic during morning and evening peak hours. Hundreds of vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers to heavy trucks from Avadi and surrounding areas, ply via the Mount-Poonamallee-Avadi High Road, locally known as the New Military Road, towards Poonamallee.
As the top layer of the road was milled by the State Highways Department, an uneven surface has emerged as a safety hazard for commuters.
Manikandan M, an autorickshaw driver in Avadi, said the wobbling surface made it difficult to control the vehicle, especially while carrying passengers.
Echoing similar concerns, Jamal Mohammed, who works at a mobile accessories shop, pointed to a sharp rise in dust levels. "In the last three days, dust has been accumulating rapidly inside the shops, coating mobile cases and gadgets," he said.
Residents waiting at the Avadi Market bus stop said the poor road condition had slowed traffic movement, resulting in severe bottlenecks during peak hours. Sadagopan T, president, Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre, criticised the timing of the work. He said roads should ideally be relaid overnight immediately after milling to avoid inconvenience to the public.
While work had gathered pace ahead of the Assembly elections, he said it should have been prioritised much earlier.
Responding to the concerns, a State Highways Department official said many workers who had gone home for the Pongal festival were yet to return. "We had planned to relay the road on Saturday night, but rain halted the work. We are now planning to complete the road-laying works at the earliest," the official said.