More traffic diversions coming soon at Nungambakkam, Chetpet

Chennai Metro Rail's phase II construction causing traffic diversions in Nungambakkam and Chetpet, impacting commuters and schools.

Like many areas struggling with traffic diversions made to ensure speedy construction of Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II, Nungambakkam and Chetpet, the two prime locations at the city’s core, will soon face the heat.

Costing ₹61,843 crore, phase II will cover 116 km with more than 100 stations. Chetpet, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, and Anna Flyover are part of corridor 3, the longest at 45.4 km, from Madhavaram to SIPCOT at Siruseri, through Nungambakkam and Adyar.

The initial work of building the stations at Sterling Road and Chetpet has begun, and full-fledged traffic diversions will come into effect shortly. But some of the diversions that have already been implemented are causing inconvenience, commuters say.

For instance, people coming from Chetpet have to take a long detour, travelling by Haddows Road, to reach Sterling Road, says G. Kumar, an autorickshaw driver. “I travel 2 km more and spend more money on petrol. But we cannot pass it on to commuters since most are unwilling to pay. It is very tough for people like us,” he says.

Similarly, one cannot go straight from Harrington Road to Spur Tank Road, but will have to go all the way to Dr. Gurusamy Bridge, take a U-turn, and reach Spur Tank Road.

“In the mornings, when I take parents and children to schools on Harrington Road, they are always in a rush and navigating this traffic and taking the detour to reach the destination on time is challenging,” he adds.

Koka Raghuram, who frequently commutes between Chetpet and T. Nagar, says the commute which wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes earlier now consumes nearly half-an-hour at peak hours. “We understand that such diversions are important, and we have to abide by them. But the authorities need to communicate such diversions in advance and post additional traffic policemen and marshals to guide people,” he says.