The Hindu 24.04.2010
Road widening work from next month
Deepa H Ramakrishnan
| Ayanavaram Road, Raji Street to become 15-metre wide |
Change in air: A view of Ayanavaram Road.
CHENNAI: Work on widening Ayanavaram Road and Raji Street that serve as a link between Medavakkam Tank Road and New Avadi Road will be taken up by the Chennai Corporation after mid-May.
The roads, which have a width of 6 metre on an average, would become 15-metre wide. This would help cut down travel time as big vehicles have to otherwise go to Kelly's and Kilpauk Garden to reach the other side.
According to officials, lands belonging to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Chennai Metrowater have been acquired by the civic body for the widening work. “We are waiting for the demolition of the old compound wall of the IMH and CMWSSB. As soon as that is over, we will shift around 50 lamp-posts on that stretch,” said an official. The work order would be issued soon and the widening is expected to be completed in July.
A.Sathyanarayanan, general secretary of Raji Street Civic Exnora, said a major problem on Raji Street was a wine shop that had a bar attached to it. In the evenings, many vehicles of customers were parked on the road hampering the movement of pedestrians and other vehicles. “There are two schools within just 100 metres of the shop. Women and children find it difficult to cross the stretch. It is pertinent that the shop is also removed,” he said.
A resident of the area, who did not want to be named, said that vans and lorries parked on both the roads led to traffic jams. Shops that sell bricks, sand and other construction material also stock their wares on the road blocking free movement of vehicles, he said. Along with the road widening if a stormwater drain system was also constructed, it would help prevent water stagnation during the monsoon, he added.
Mayor M. Subramanian said as part of the civic body's efforts to ease traffic in residential localities, zonal officers have been asked to identify small streets that need widening.
“If there are roads that require widening we will take up such work.”
