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Four ponds to get new lease of life

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The New Indian Express                       26.03.2013

Four ponds to get new lease of life

 

Civic body looks at new avenues for improving junctions

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The Hindu       21.03.2013 

Civic body looks at new avenues for improving junctions

One year after the announcement of a feasibility study for grade separators in key junctions, Chennai Corporation has asked the consultant to study options for junction improvement and corridor development near the junctions.

This is after the consultant completed the traffic study component of the feasibility study and listed those junctions where the passenger car unit per hour crossed 10,000. The study concluded that grade separators were necessary in such junctions. However, the construction of grade separators is likely to involve land acquisition. The Chennai Corporation has decided to reduce the requirement of land that has to be acquired for grade separators.

With this aim in mind, the Corporation suggested junction improvement in Adhithanar Salai, Pantheon Road and Dr. Rukmani Lakshmipathy Road and development of corridors across River Cooum through junctions such as College Road, Sterling Road and Valluvar Kottam High Road.

It was last year that Mayor Saidai Duraisamy proposed to conduct feasibility studies for construction of grade separators at Arcot Salai, Saligramam and K.K. Nagar 80 feet Road Junction; Mandaiveli Junction near Mandaiveli Bus Stand Junction; Bharathi Salai and Royapettah Clock Tower Junction; Gandhi Mandapam Salai and Ponniamman Koil Salai Junction at Kotturpuram.

The study for facilities at Bharathi Salai and Royapettah Clock Tower Junction study was dropped because of traffic diversions for metro rail project.

The proposal for a feasibility study to connect Usman Road flyovers was also made. But that study too did not commence.

The flyover at the junction of North Usman Road-Kodambakkam High Road was constructed at a cost of Rs. 9.72 crore and the one at Usman Road-Duraisamy Road junction at a cost of Rs. 19.8 crore during the DMK regime to help reduce traffic congestion.

However, the two flyovers only added to traffic congestion. The one at the Usman Road-Duraisamy Road junction does not permit free movement of vehicles on service lanes.

The Fire and Rescue Services Department too had complained that fire tenders could not gain access to Ranganathan Street, Natesan Street and Ramasamy Street. Members of T. Nagar Welfare Associations had also called for demolition of the Usman Road-Duraisamy Road flyover.

So the civic body will opt for flyovers only where similar problems will not arise. Other junctions will be redesigned and improved.


Grade separators are not preferred as they will involve land acquisition

 Study for plan to connect T. Nagar flyovers also not started

 

Fair share of amenities in newly-added areas

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The Hindu                      12.03.2013

Fair share of amenities in newly-added areas

 

The newly-added areas of the Corporation can look forward to better roads, improved connectivity and improved facilities for healthcare and education.

The civic body’s budget, presented on Monday, proposed to relay 4,000 interior roads in the newly-expanded areas of the civic body. Around 500 km of roads will be covered under this.

“These roads are in bad condition and need to be re-laid. The work will be completed in a year’s time,” said a civic body official. The Corporation maintains a total of 25,731 interior roads spanning 4,811.79 km.

A high-level bridge will come up across Buckingham Canal connecting Murugesan Nagar in Thoraipakkam with Pandiyan Salai in Neelankarai. This will improve connectivity between the arterial Rajiv Gandhi Salai and East Coast Road.

Last year, the State government had planned to improve connectivity between the two roads to reduce traffic congestion. The bridge has also been suggested in the Comprehensive Traffic and Transport Study for Chennai city.

There is more in terms of infrastructure for the eight new zones. School buildings will come up in Kanniammam Pettai, Kulakkarai, Kosapur, Theambakkam, School Road and Andarkuppam in Manali zone.

A high school building will be constructed in Kannagi Nagar, Thoraipakkam.

The extended zones will also benefit from 10 new health posts. New Siddha dispensaries will come up in all zones except Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Alandur and Adyar, and 14 new Ayurveda dispensaries will be set up in all zones except Teynampet. Urban primary health centres will come up in Saraswathi Nagar and on Nedunchezian Salai in Sholinganallur zone.

The Chennai Corporation will soon take up work to upgrade and improve burial grounds in the expanded areas. Major burial grounds will get gasifier crematoria. The slaughter house at Kallikuppam in Ambattur zone will be modernised.

To improve garbage collection in the expanded areas, the civic body has proposed to purchase tipper lorries and small compactors.

 


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