The long-delayed six-lane widening of the 10.5-kilometre East Coast Road (ECR) stretch from Thiruvanmiyur to Akkarai is now 85 percent complete, according to highways officials. The remaining work is expected to be finished in two months.
Land acquisition hurdles
The highways department is yet to acquire land in certain areas between Kottivakkam and Akkarai, and near VGP, where approximately 30 houses are still to be acquired. A highways official stated, "We have issued notices and the owners are being brought into discussions to get the land at an appropriate price. This will be done soon."
Parking issues on widened lanes
In other parts, the highways department has laid roads in the expanded areas, but the stretch remains unusable in some sections due to vehicles being parked on the sixth lane. The highways department recently attempted to cordon off the sixth lane partially using bricks to prevent parking. However, residents opposed this as it defeats the purpose of widening, and the bricks were later removed.
Disruption to traffic flow
Although highways engineers maintain that most civil work is completed, incomplete patches continue to disrupt traffic flow. Motorists face uneven surfaces and narrowed carriageways in parts of Neelankarai, Injambakkam, and Vettuvankeni. K Nanaveethan, a commuter, noted that encroachments removed for the widening works have returned. "After Thiruvanmiyur, we could spot several tiffin stalls and juice shops in the carriageway. Because of this, many vehicles are forced to carry on in the first and second lanes only. On the opposite side from Uthandi to Thiruvanmiyur, there is heavy congestion to enter Adyar," he said.
Demand for better junction management
Commuters have urged the highways and traffic police to allow a thoroughfare at Uthandi junction instead of permitting a U-turn on Kalaignar Karunanidhi Salai, which requires a half-kilometre detour.
Elevated corridor project
Highways officials also announced that soil testing has begun at 400 points for the six-lane, 2,100 crore elevated corridor from Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi. The 13-kilometre-long flyover will be a toll-charged corridor managed by the state highways.
