Chennai: Delay in road widening irks commuters

Chennai: The road-widening project of Chennai-Tirupati Highway (CTH) is stuck in a limbo,  as both the State Highway Urban (SHU) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are facing hurdles like land acquisition and incessant heavy vehicle traffic on the entire stretch, resulting in a pile up of heavy vehicles.

Sources said that even as the foundation for six-laning was laid in 2013, works in two stretches - Padi and Tiruninravur - covering a distance of 22 km and Tiruninravur to Thirupachur covering 12 km, has not even started.

Although NHAI has completed work on major stretches, it faced stiff opposition from public and vendors in some areas, and this prompted NHAI officials to hand over the project to SHU for undertaking work on the Padi to Tirunindravur stretch. However, things did not augur well for the project, as the SHU officials also are floundering to acquire lands in the busy stretch.

A civic activist and president of Tiruninravur, S. Mohanram, said, "It has been over five years since the project started. Considering the huge volume of vehicles taking this stretch, officials should accelerate the road widening works."

Also, the CTH is more used by heavy vehicles like containers and trucks creating immense inconvenience to other kinds of motor traffic including Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses, Mohanram added.

Commuters and motorists suffer as the stretch between Tirunindravur to Padi is still unfinished. "The stretch does not even look like a highway. Everyday, peak hours surely witness a vehicle pile or traffic moving at snail's pace. 

Since many MTC buses are being operated in the stretch, it also adds to the congestion," said a commuter from Avadi.

When contacted, a senior SHU official said, "We are working on land acquisition and works will be undertaken early next year. 

We have also issued caution notices to those who have encroached government lands, and are also in the process of acquiring private lands." "Since acquiring lands is a laborious task, it would take some more months. We are keen to complete all other works by this year-end," he noted.

Meanwhile, NHAI officials said they are in touch with SHU officials and have asked them to expedite the process. "We have been rece

iving communications from SHU on the works taken up. All hurdles are almost cleared and spade work on the Padi-Tiruninravur stretch would begin soon," said a senior NHAI official, requesting anonymity.