New traffic arrangements made to ease congestion on Rajiv Gandhi Salai

The Greater Chennai City Traffic Police have introduced a new traffic improvement plan on Rajiv Gandhi Salai from the Madhya Kailash signal, which appears to have helped reduce traffic congestion along the stretch during morning peak hours. While motorists welcomed the efforts of the traffic police, they also urged improvements in the adjoining areas, particularly during the evening rush.

Due to the ongoing bridge construction between the Madhya Kailash and Tidel Park junctions on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, the road width on the eastern side has been reduced to 5.5 metres, resulting in significant congestion during the morning peak hours. Approximately 1.5 lakh vehicles cross the Madhya Kailash junction daily, making it a major bottleneck. Traffic bound for the IT corridor from Sardar Patel Road is merging onto Rajiv Gandhi Salai—also known as OMR—leading to further congestion as vehicles funnel through a U-turn near VHS Hospital to join traffic from Taramani. Motorists complain that travel times have drastically increased, with a journey that previously took five minutes now taking much longer.

A senior officer of the Greater Chennai City Traffic Police said, “After evaluating the situation along the stretch and to ease congestion during morning peak hours, we have introduced a new traffic plan on Rajiv Gandhi Salai. The width of the road branching from Sardar Patel Road was only 5.5 metres and too narrow to handle the morning traffic volume. Therefore, in addition to the existing carriageway, vehicles coming from the Madhya Kailash junction towards Tidel Park are now allowed to use one lane of the opposite side (from Tidel Park to Madhya Kailash) up to the U-turn near VHS Hospital for a stretch of 300 metres.”

This new traffic arrangement is enforced between 8.30 a.m. and 11 a.m., and as a result, traffic is now moving smoothly during the morning rush.

However, motorists and residents are urging authorities to complete the bridge works on Sardar Patel Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai quickly and to reopen the right turn for vehicles coming from Rajiv Gandhi Salai towards Adyar.

B. Rajesh, a regular commuter from Mylapore to Tidel Park, said, “Now they have created more road space for free flow of traffic on Rajiv Gandhi Salai. They are trying to reduce congestion during peak hours. Once the bridge construction is completed, it will be much better. They should finish the work quickly and open the right turn towards Adyar at Madhya Kailash junction for vehicles coming from Rajiv Gandhi Salai.”

C. Ramakrishnan, President of the Federation of Adyar Residents Association, said that the signal time for vehicles moving from Adyar to Guindy needs to be increased. He also urged the traffic police to focus on easing congestion from Rajiv Gandhi Salai to Sardar Patel Road. The stretch remains clogged during evening peak hours. “Traffic is moving slowly since one side of Sardar Patel Road has several potholes,” he noted.

Authorities, including the police, have already removed encroachments on both sides of Sardar Patel Road from the Madhya Kailash junction to the IIT-Madras compound wall, and the road will soon be relaid. Once that is done, Sardar Patel Road will be broader, allowing smoother traffic flow, police said.