The junction of Rajiv Gandhi Salai from Siruseri Sipcot to Padur is expanding. |Picture source: Special arrangement
Until the start of the Phase II project of Chennai Metro Rail, the riding surface of Rajiv Gandhi Salai (commonly known as Old Mahabalipuram Road or OMR) uses nearly 250,000 cars a day, on six lanes and service roads on both sides. But now, the road from the SRP tool junction to Navalur is a difficult task for many, especially during peak hours, motorists say.
SS Pandian of Siruseri said he avoided as many OMRs as possible. He said: “The road was seriously damaged due to the engineering. The repairs have not been done correctly. If I had to get to the East Coast Road, I took an internal road, avoid using Padur and Kelambakkam and then got to the connecting road. Instead of going to Egmore to catch the train, we went to Tambaram,” he said.
Although traffic movements are not roaring due to the turnaround introduced at various junctions such as Thorapakkam and Sholinganallur, the lack of space in certain parts of the road is a problem. School bus driver Vijayakumar said he had to drive quickly in certain places to make up for the lost time. “I was even postponed last month because of the early morning subway work. In the evening, a private university bus and our vehicles competed for space. They were huge vehicles that could drive us out of the lane. So we waited until they waited.”
Pedestrians were the worst hit in all of this, as the sidewalks just disappeared along the road and multiple agencies dug up service lanes in many places. The locked bricks were unbalanced and the manhole cover was broken.
Thoraiipakkam’s Suresh Subramaniam said crossing the street or walking to nearby shops has become dangerous for more than a year. “It is estimated that over 200,000 vehicles use Rajiv Gandhi Salai every day, which means we need more policing and safer pedestrian space. The service lanes are not in good condition and it is even more difficult when vehicles use them. Sometimes, I wait more than three minutes before crossing the road.”
Expanding
Meanwhile, the 2.5 km Rajiv Gandhi Salai phase is expanded to a six-lane facility from the junction of Siruseri Sipcot to Padur.
Karthik, who runs a plant nursery in the area, said he had to move the nursery further due to his work. “I’m lucky to be able to move the space. Over the past year, many buildings have been on many buildings, including composite walls of shops, apartment buildings, wedding halls and schools,” he said.
Highway department sources said the encroachment had been removed, making it easier for contractors to do the job as soon as possible. The median will move from its current position to make both sides equal. To the left of the road from Thiruvanmiyur is where most buildings are demolished. Workers have begun to remove debris of buildings and clean up the sides.
“We have marked the edge of the right of way in terms of stormwater drainage. In the past year, construction is not allowed in the area. In the past year, the encroachment has been removed. The contractor has time to complete the Rs 4.2 crore project until February 2026,” said the engineers associated with the project.
Resident Mukundan said the expansion would hopefully ensure that transportation has witnessed amazing developments over the past decade. He said this stretch has witnessed a lot of traffic jams. Rajiv Gandhi Salai ran to Poonjeri near Mamallapuram, and the rest of the extension will be expanded at various stages.
publishing – April 21, 2025 at 12:00 am IST
