Residents want damaged stretches of Anna Salai repaired immediately

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Following complaints by residents and motorists about damaged road and pavement along the arterial Anna Salai, the Highways Department began restoring the stretches. However, the work was not completed in most of the stretches on Tuesday.

Motorists pointed to the poor condition of Anna Salai from Teynampet signal to Apollo Hospitals. The stretch is full of potholes. The condition was worsened by the rain on Tuesday, they said.

B. Maran, an autorickshaw driver, said the traffic moved slow because of the bad road, and passengers began getting down, preferring to walk towards their destination.

B. Saravanan, a motorist said, the stretch of Anna Salai near the Chennai Metro Rail office was damaged in the recent rain — pits were formed, exposing the soil underneath.

“The stretch from Muthuramalinga Thevar Statue junction to the Cenotaph Road-Anna Salai junction near Apollo Hospitals is worse,” he said.

Residents have demanded the restoration of the stretches before another spell of rain this Northeast monsoon.

Traffic affected

On Thursday, traffic moved at a snail’s pace along several stretches of Anna Salai and bus routes in the vicinity of the arterial road.

Former Chennai Corporation floor leader V. Sukumar Babu said vehicles moved slowly along several of the roads near Anna Salai during his visit to Muthuramalinga Thevar Statue on Anna Salai to pay homage on Thursday.

“The Highways and Chennai Corporation should have restored the arterial stretches before the onset of the Northeast monsoon. During flood events or any disaster, arterial roads such as Anna Salai is the only lifelineof connectivity for hospitals and in times of emergency evacuation. The Highways Department should first restoreAnna Salai. Chennai Corporation should relay damaged roads near the arterial stretch in the next few days for better disaster response,” Mr. Babu said.