Chennai airport in a mess ahead of Chess Olympiad

While the Tamil Nadu government has been going all out to beautify the city ahead of the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held at Mamallapuram from July 28, the Chennai airport appears to be in a mess with work still in progress on relaying the approach road outside the terminals

From giving a makeover to the Napier Bridge to installing a chess doll at Namma Chennai selfie spot on the Marina Beach, the State government has been pulling out all stops to host the 44 th Chess Olympiad to be held at Mamallapuram from July 28 to August 10. But the first point of entry for the participants in the event, the Chennai airport, remains cluttered and congested.

The work on relaying the approach road outside the terminals of the airport is still on and not completed yet, leaving it in a mess. For those coming for the event, this could be an eyesore and the restricted road space and construction work could hamper vehicular traffic.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said they have created an exclusive path for those coming to the city for the event. “The approach road is being relaid for a few weeks now ahead of the opening of the multilevel car parking on August 1. Most of this work will be completed in a week’s time. We have reviewed the arrangements. We will ensure that those participating in the event have clear and convenient access,” an official said.

Passengers have been facing issues exiting the airport during peak hours due to the long queue of vehicles and congestion. Sabarish, one of the passengers, took to Twitter to vent his ire. He tweeted: “Dear @aaichnairport arrivals parking exit is a complete mess, causing heavy block. It took 1hr to just come out, kindly allocate your staff to regulate the mess created in parking space near arrivals exit, definitely it can be handled better. Location-near pillar N44 & N43.”