Chennai-Bengaluru highway awaits repair

NHAI sources say the work remains incomplete due to shortage of gravel, earth

If the recent rain made driving on roads from bad to worse, the Chennai- Bengaluru highway has once again become a nightmare. “Have you driven down from Chennai to Kancheepuram recently? The large potholes have only made the experience a harrowing one. Expansion work is moving at snail’s pace and the many diversions only make driving a nightmare, especially at night,” said S. Selvaraj, a multi-axle vehicle driver.

“There is some respite in traffic only for a couple of hours in the afternoon and if there is a pile up, motorists are done for. The condition of the road, which is a gateway to Chennai, is in a pitiable state and there has been no improvement for over a year now. Many projects in the city have been completed but this one remains hung, nobody knows why,” said L. Sahana, who travels frequently to Bengaluru.

Sources in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said potholes were being filled whenever there was some respite in the rain. “We are waiting for the rain to stop so that we can complete the repairs. The widening work would soon be completed,” the official said.