Chennai: With two stretches of Chennai metro rail now open to public, motorists are now keeping their fingers crossed and are hoping for the restoration two way traffic system along the arterial Poonamallee high road and Inner Ring road.
"Four years ago one way traffic was introduced near the Chetpet subway. This diversion on Poonamallee high road makes it a detour by three kilometers and during peak traffic it is a big stress on drivers," said P. Elumalai, a driver attached to state government. Most of the government officials and buses use the Poonamallee high road as it is a major thoroughfare connecting city with the western suburbs and authorities should restore the two way traffic system, Elumalai added.
"After the inaugural of Vadapalani flyover I save five minutes while coming to my office at K K Nagar from Perambur, but if the one way traffic near Udayam theatres is restored into two way I will save more time," said S. Gautham, who works as a recruiter with an Human Resource company.
When asked why the Poonamallee High Road is not made two way road even after the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) had opened the underground metro corridor for public use, a senior Chennai police official said that it would take at least two weeks for the traffic police to get the road repaired by the CMRL. According to a senior traffic police officer, the CMRL has to relay the Poonamallee high road on certain stretches. Apart from that CMRL will have to complete the median work and also the footpath.
