Chennai: Vehicles from Ashok Nagar, K K Nagar, and Saidapet heading to Panagal Park in T Nagar will soon get relief from traffic congestion as Greater Chennai Corporation has completed building a link between Madley Junction and the new CIT Nagar-Usman Road flyover.
Vehicles moving towards Panagal Park often get stuck on the narrow Usman Road, which is usually filled with shoppers. Further, MTC buses exiting and entering the T Nagar terminus add to the traffic.
Now, GCC has built a single-lane entry ramp, located 50 metres from Madley Junction. This ramp allows cars, bikes, and buses to access the two-lane, 1.1 km CIT Nagar–Usman Road flyover and reach Panagal Park.
A down-ramp on the other side, which will allow vehicles to exit before the T Nagar bus terminus, is nearing completion.Municipal administration and water supply department minister K N Nehru recently said in the assembly that the project is expected to be ready by May.
Officials said work to connect the new flyover with the existing Usman Road flyover is ongoing. “The connection won’t be direct. The vehicles will descend from CIT Nagar flyover, commute in a closed corridor on the road level, and then rejoin the Usman Road flyover,” said a bridges department official.
At the end of the new flyover, exits have been provided for shoppers heading to Ranganathan Street and nearby hubs. On the opposite lane, an entry approach will be constructed for vehicles to enter the flyover to reach Anna Salai. Officials said the flyover will decongest the shopping area of T Nagar.
Residents said the work must be completed faster, as the construction has damaged sewer pipes and stormwater drains on at least 10 roads along the construction site. “Entry to our house is also blocked from Usman Road. We are forced to go out through a narrow lane, connecting near Duraisamy subway,” said K Avinash, a resident of T Nagar.