CHENNAI: The state highways department has sanctioned 15.7 crore for acquiring defence land to widen GST Road at Pallavaram. This is aimed at decongesting traffic from Guindy to Tambaram.
A few years ago, the government constructed a flyover by spending 82 crore at the intersection of Santhai Road and Kundrathur Road on GST Road. Though it has three lanes and is 12 metres wide, the 1.5-km long structure functions as a unidirectional flyover, meaning vehicles can ply only in one direction from Tambaram to Guindy.
Pallavaram and Chromepet residents have requested police to allow two-way traffic along this flyover as it is wide enough. Every evening, thousands of motorists, particularly residents of suburban areas, are forced to use only the road below the flyover, said D Shankar, a resident of Kilkattalai.
"If not for all vehicles, at least two-wheelers and cars alone can be allowed to use the existing flyover during peak hours as it is done in Adyar," he said.
After protests and Pallavaram MLA Karunanithi's intervention, the highways department suggested that widening of the existing flyover or a two-way traffic mechanism is not feasible. But it recommended widening of the existing GST Road underneath the flyover.
However, defence land is abutting the carriageway at the location and only if the land is acquired, the existing road can be widened into a three-lane carriageway with a pedestrian footpath. Assets worth 15.7 crore are to be demolished/acquired for this project. After a nod from the defence administration, the state has now sanctioned funds.
Besides this, plans are on to install another traffic signal so that vehicles to and from Pammal and Kundrathur need not take a detour. This signal will make pedestrian movement also easier, said highway engineers.
Though residents have welcomed the move, they want the flyover to remain functional around the clock.