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Chennai Corporation decides to widen roads as 'flyovers won’t ease traffic congestion'

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The Times of India        30.12.2014

Chennai Corporation decides to widen roads as 'flyovers won’t ease traffic congestion'

 

CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation on Monday decided to widen a few more roads to ease traffic congestion in the city. "From now on, we will ease traffic congestion in the city by widening roads and not by building flyovers," Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy said during the council meeting.

The corporation has decided to widen three more roads -- Valluvar Kottam high road, Kodambakkam high road and Annai Nagar in Perungudi. Hitherto, the civic body had taken up a total of 24 heavily congested main roads to be widened.

Private consultants are carrying out preliminary procedures such as a land plan schedule and social impact assessment.

The previous DMK regime built 15 flyovers and subways. The present AIADMK regime has carried out detailed studies for eight grade separator projects and opened two flyovers, five bridges and three subways, according to a corporation official.

"It is now accepted world over that flyovers are not the solution to traffic problems. In fact, if not planned properly, a flyover can only transfer congestion from one junction to another," the official said.

"Therefore, it is extremely important to plan new flyovers based on detailed feasibility studies and with stakeholder consultations as huge public funds are involved in the construction of flyovers along with large scale land acquisition of private lands."

The mayor promised to complete all the proposed road works by April next year.