Commuters complain that Thirumangalam Road is ridden with potholes.
| Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran
:
During peak hours, school vans, motorcycles, and cars enter the Thirumangalam Road in Villivakkam from the Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road (CTH Road) to reach Anna Nagar West in no time. But what should be the link road has turned into one that represents a daunting, back-breaking ordeal where every commuter wears a frown as vehicles jolt and rattle through the bumpy stretch to reach Anna Nagar and vice-versa.
“Work on the CMRL Phase II project is under way on CTH Road, and as a result, traffic moves at a snail’s pace. Many avoid taking the Padi flyover from CTH Road to reach Anna Nagar. We already have the Thirumangalam Road linking Villivakkam and Anna Nagar, but it has become a dangerous stretch as it is ridden with potholes,” said Deepak K., an autorickshaw driver from Ayanavaram.
Residents say multiple civic projects have been implemented simultaneously, leaving the road battered for the past six months. “This road is always busy. Since there is a railway track close by, the traffic builds up. Sometimes, we see people falling off their two-wheelers because of the craters. Now that the Northeast monsoon has begun, it will only get worse,” said Godhandapani, a resident of Thiru Nagar in Villivakkam.
Another resident said many interior roads branched off from Thirumangalam Road, and autorickshaw drivers were charging higher fares as the stretch was full of puddles after the recent rain.
Despite being used by school vans, it remains narrow and lacks a proper footpath, forcing pedestrians to walk dangerously close to vehicles rushing past.
“A storm-water drain project to connect the road with Otteri Nullah is under way. It has damaged some Metrowater connections and sewer lines, and those repairs are still going on. As a result, the road has been damaged. There should be better coordination between the Greater Chennai Corporation, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and the contractors. If that happens, the project would be completed soon,” Ward 95 Councillor Sudha Deenadhayalan said.
Published – November 03, 2025 12:17 am IST
