Chennai plans major road expansion
Chennai Corporation has initiated consultancy bids to design the widening of Kamarajar Salai into an eight-lane corridor, aiming to ease intense traffic on one of the city’s busiest stretches. The study will also assess slip roads on Dr Radhakrishnan Salai and Sardar Patel Road to improve flow. (AI image)
Early-stage project with focus on feasibility
Officials said the project is still in its preliminary phase, with designs expected to follow national street-planning norms. The emphasis will be on realistic, congestion-easing solutions without shifting bottlenecks elsewhere, along with surveys for possible land acquisition. (AI image)
Need for micro solutions stressed
MP Dayanidhi Maran highlighted that Chennai cannot depend indefinitely on flyovers and subways. Instead, neighbourhood-level micro interventions are required to manage growing traffic, especially at choke points that routinely hold up vehicles for long durations. (AI image)
Proposal focuses on targeted traffic fixes
The proposal emphasises improving key junctions and traffic-heavy stretches through focused roadway upgrades. Planners aim to ease bottlenecks with slip roads, better lane management and redesigned intersections, avoiding large, disruptive infrastructure works. (AI image)
Slip road crucial at key junction
The Kotturpuram–Sardar Patel Road intersection sees vehicles from multiple directions converging toward the airport, OMR and ECR, causing chronic jams. Officials believe adding a slip road here will streamline vehicle movement and reduce waiting time. (AI image)
Experts warn of induced demand
Urban mobility specialists caution that widening roads offers only short-term relief. Expanded corridors often attract more vehicles, eventually restoring congestion levels—a phenomenon known as induced demand that planners must factor in. (AI image)
Focus on walkability and transit integration
Planners recommend creating fine-grained networks of walkable streets and improving public transport accessibility. These measures, they say, will reduce car dependency and offer lasting relief compared to purely road-based expansion. (AI image)
Call for sustainable mobility strategy
Experts emphasise that long-term decongestion requires investments in public transport, pedestrian-friendly streets and integrated mobility networks. They argue that widening roads without parallel transit upgrades will not solve core mobility issues. (AI image)