Missing median makes Melur road near Flower Market dangerous

It has been nearly two years since State Highways Department took up the work of widening the Melur Road in Mattuthavani. 

The stretch of road between K.K. Nagar junction and Uthangudi junction was made four-lane along with junction improvement works and provision of service roads on two stretches. 

All these works were taken up to cater to the increasing vehicular traffic and to make the road safer for the users. 

As part of the work, the median and a wall-like structure were demolished with the promise of putting up a wide kerb for plantation along with fencing to prevent casual crossing of the road by pedestrians. 

However, more than a year after the works were completed, the officials have not put up the fencing of the kerbs with stainless pipes in more than 300 metre stretch between SETC junction and Mattuthavani bus stand. 

As a result, hundreds of people are seen crossing the wide roads from one side to another, mostly those going to the flower market or the food grains market, by walking over the kerbs. 

The passengers, mostly women, who come to the flower market from the city get down at the SIPCOT bus stop on the left side and dangerously walk on the 11-metre wide carriage ways on both sides. 

A traffic police officer said that based on the High Court direction, many of the median openings were closed long back to prevent frequent crossings by pedestrians and vehicle users causing road accidents.  

But, now the absence of proper median has created a chaos near the flower market.  

“Either they cross the road to reach the flower market or cross the road to reach the bus stop through the plants,” he said. 

The saree-clad women, especially the women, are vulnerable to accidents as vehicles go past this stretch at higher speed as and when the signal turns green for those coming from K.K. Nagar towards Mattuthavani. 

“With vehicles moving in three different lanes, it is not easy for everyone to avoid being hit. The jay walking of the pedestrians is also posing danger to the bike riders and other drivers, who use this stretch of road as the women jump on to the carriage way all of a sudden,” an autorickshaw driver said. 

He said that the authorities should complete the work of putting a proper median as done in other stretches of this road.