Narrow stretches of arterials roads across Chennai to be widened soon

Chennai plans to widen 100 km of arterial roads to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance road safety soon.

Work to widen arterial roads in various congested parts of the city is set to begin soon. At a meeting of the First Working Group for Traffic Regulations and Management Framework of the State Planning Commission on Tuesday, civic agencies identified 100 km of roads in Chennai for widening with the aim of easing traffic congestion and improving road safety.

In the first meeting, Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) officials suggested strengthening and widening of the stretch from Padi flyover near Saravana Stores to Thiruninravur, improving connectivity between Outer Ring Road and areas such as Anna Nagar. “The width of the stretch will increase by 50%,” said an official. Similarly, stretches connecting Velachery with Tambaram and Taramani are expected to be widened. Traffic in areas such as Pammal is expected to ease after some of the proposals are implemented.

In a bid to improve Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) bus routes, the civic body is expected to identify bus routes for widening after land acquisition on congested stretches based on proposals by CUMTA. The working group has also suggested handing over foot overbridges, constructed by various agencies such as the Highways Department and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, to the local bodies for proper maintenance.

The working group has also suggested measures to regulate planning permission for schools, malls, and large buildings along roads with heavy traffic congestion in the city. Experts at the working group, including orthopaedic surgeons and trauma specialists, have also suggested measures to prevent road traffic accidents.

Thousand Lights MLA Ezhilan Naganathan, who headed the working group, said the group had suggested stricter enforcement of penalties for different traffic violations and several technology innovations. Officials explored the feasibility of linking the payment of traffic fine with vehicle insurance if the individual has registered five traffic violations.