Chennai: With road expansion project kept on hold for a long time, the traffic snarls at Choolaimedu-Nelson Manickam Road junction have turned into a nightmare for commuters.
As the road is a major link for arterial stretches at Anna Nagar, Nungambakkam and T. Nagar, motorists have appealed for immediate action.
“The high road is very narrow compared to the footfall it receives. Ambulances get struck on the road in peak hours and it becomes a Herculean task for senior citizens to cross the road,” said Stanley Rajesh, a resident.
Share autos are the prime reason for traffic snarls, residents say. The autos supposed to be plying on the Nelson Manickam Road, take the internal roads to skip the bustling main road and enter Choolaimedu High Road. “The share autos do not follow any traffic rules and make frequent stops along the way creating heavy traffic jams all throughout the route,” said P. Anbu, an auto driver from the locality.
Concurring to this, PSP Vijaybala, a resident added that drivers do not pay heed to traffic policemen's oral instructions. “Unless the government comes out with a stricter penalty, the issue will continue. These share autos should be fined and their licenses seized.”
Moreover, the traffic signals at the junction also faulty, thereby alleviating the problems.
“Once the signal stops working, the traffic comes to a standstill. The traffic on the Nelson Manickam road also affects movement through the Choolaimedu High Road,” said a student residing in the area. When contacted, an official from the Greater Chennai Corporation said the civic body plans to widen the Nelson Manickam road by 24m.
However, residents feel this would be of no help as there are eight major intersections and the width of the railway subway is only 16m which cannot be extended further, which will once again lead to traffic jams.
