The Hindu 23.05.2013
Link road, cycling track among projects under study
The link road connecting Thiru. Vi. Ka Bridge and
Kotturpuram Bridge along Adyar river is one of the nine key projects in
the city for which a feasibility study will begin shortly.
The
Chennai Corporation Council on Wednesday passed a resolution permitting
TNUIFSL (Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited) to
commence the study and prepare detailed project reports for them. The
other projects include pedestrian plazas in T. Nagar, Chepauk and
Mylapore and a cycle circuit along beach from Fort station to Foreshore
Estate for a length of 7 km.
The link road along the
Adyar is likely to ease traffic congestion in Adyar and Kotturpuram
areas during rush hour. TNUIFSL had earlier decided to take up the Adyar
River Front Project as the first part of the Chennai Circular Corridor.
After cleaning up the Adyar, a dedicated carriageway on both sides of
the river for a Bus Rapid Transport System had been proposed. However,
it did not take off and Chennai Corporation now plans to use aspects of
the same proposal to ease traffic congestion in a smaller stretch in the
locality.
The pedestrian plazas in T. Nagar, Chepauk
and Mylapore are part of an initiative to provide better amenities for
pedestrians. The study will focus on a commercial theme for the
pedestrian plaza in T. Nagar, an environmental theme for the facility in
Chepauk and a religious one for Mylapore.
Various
modes of public transport will be accessible from the plazas. The plaza
at Cheapuk is likely to involve the roads that form a loop around the
proposed super-specialty hospital in Omandurar Government Estate. The
move is part of efforts to promote non-motorised transport. This would
include bicycle tracks and partial pedestrianisation.
Chennai
Corporation will commission facilities to promote cycle sharing as an
important means of providing last-mile connectivity to MRTS stations
initially. The facilities will also be commissioned along Metro Rail
corridors in the long run.
The study will cover
skywalks in Mambalam and Parrys, improvement of beaches in Kottivakkam,
Palavakkam and Neelankarai and multi-level parking in Nungambakkam among
others.