Anna salai traffic woes: Continuing Chennai metro rail work causes difficulties

Chennai: Even after the final metro tunnel breakthrough between Saidapet and DMS this week, Chennaiites have to bear the brunt of traffic snarls on arterial Anna Salai, coming year too.

Metro rail officials are now working on subways to connect stations and this would mean motorists heading towards Nandanam through Anna Salai would continue to take a roundabout on the one-way for at least four months more.

“The station construction would be completed within three months and till then, there would be no change in traffic diversions. Vehicles going from Binny Road to Sathyam Theatre will continue to go through Pattulos Road and Whites Road,” said an official from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).

Traffic along Anna Salai was affected nearly six years ago when the construction began. Ambulance drivers say they are the most affected due to the diversions that take at least 20 minutes longer to reach the destination in peak hours.

“Around five hospitals are located in the area and it also connects three major government hospitals. Like others, ours is not a profession where risk can be avoided by starting a bit earlier. Negligence and delay by CMRL might come down heavily on people's lives,” said K. Murali, an ambulance driver.

On the other hand, metro rail workers finished work on all the underground tunnels and the officials say the stretches from Nehru Park to Chennai Central and St. Thomas Mount to AG-DMS would begin operations in March 2018 and the whole line from DMS-Washermenpet would be operational by December 2018.

“All worksites in Anna Salai will be cleared in three months and the roads would be back to normal in four months. The other areas that were made one way for construction will be made two-way by November, next year,” an official said.