2 lanes added to Velachery Main Road.

Residents are relieved that Velachery Main Road is being widened by the State Highways Department.

Though the work on construction of stormwater drains on either side of the road between UCO Bank intersection and Selaiyur police station began months ago, the widening work by 3 metres on either side of the road began a fortnight ago.

Sources with Highways Department said that the works are being taken up in small packages. Footpath laying, construction of stormwater drains and widening the road would come as part of the packages.

The total cost of two such packages for improving the road from Madras Christian College and Selaiyur police station amounts to Rs. 6.90 crore. Of them, the stormwater drains and road widening and strengthening requires Rs. 2.90 crore.

The entire work is expected to be completed before August 31 this year and if more funds are sanctioned they would take up road widening work on other stretches of the same road.

Other sections of the road which require widening are the ones between Camp Road junction and Selaiyur police station and between Christ King Convent and UCO Bank intersection.

A request to sanction Rs. 10.5 crore to the State Highways Department for enabling it to widen a 300-metre stretch between Poondi Bazaar and Convent bus stop was sent many months ago to the State government, but the department is yet to receive the amount. The delay in widening the stretch is causing serious hardships to motorists, including schoolchildren.

“There are three schools around this stretch and over 11,000 are studying in them. The sight of students running behind the speeding buses on the narrow stretch of this road is pathetic,” said S. Jayalakshmi of Camp Road.

Residents pointed out that as part of the widening programme, the State Highways Department removed encroachments and widened a portion of the road between Gowriwakkam and Mahalakshmi Nagar in 2014.

But there has been no progress, and officials said they required funds to demolish roadside properties and also for laying the road.

The sanction of funds should be expedited to carry out the widening work at one stroke by the Highways Department, which otherwise had to face price escalations during execution stage, residents pointed out.

THE HINDU