Every weekend, the Akkarai junction on Chennai's East Coast Road transforms into a commuter's worst nightmare, with heavy traffic and controversial barricading forcing motorists into lengthy detours that add significant time to their journeys.
The Weekend Traffic Crisis
The strategically important Akkarai junction serves as the crucial connection point for commuters needing to access the link road towards OMR and Sholinganallur. During weekends, the traffic police implementation forces all vehicles heading towards Thiruvanmiyur to take a mandatory left turn at the signal and proceed onto the link road.
Commuters are compelled to travel nearly a kilometre on this stretch before they can finally take a U-turn to return to their intended ECR route. This detour typically costs drivers between 5 to 10 minutes of additional travel time, creating frustration among regular users of this busy corridor.
Commuters Voice Their Anger
D Abdullah, an Injambakkam resident, expressed the common sentiment among affected commuters: "It makes no sense to barricade the stretch when there's already a functional signal. The average wait time is approximately 60 seconds. Instead of forcing us through different routes, traffic police could slightly increase the signal wait time."
The situation becomes even more dire as vehicles accumulate on the link road, moving at what resident-activist Sushma Erevelles describes as "a snail's pace." She further noted that "the presence of traffic police personnel does not help" alleviate the congestion problems.
Traffic Police Justification
Traffic police inspector Venkatraj defended the barricading strategy, claiming it has actually helped reduce overall commute time and congestion. "The Akkarai signal facilitates access to three different pathways: towards Puducherry, OMR, and Thiruvanmiyur," he explained.
"During weekends, the volume of vehicles heading towards Puducherry increases four times compared to weekdays. If we operated all signals normally, vehicles would line up extensively on the Thiruvanmiyur-Puducherry stretch, resulting in complete chaos," Venkatraj stated, emphasizing that this measure is implemented exclusively on weekends.
However, commuters counter that the traffic restrictions often begin as early as Fridays, extending their inconvenience. Erevelles suggested an alternative solution: "To properly reduce vehicle buildup on the Thiruvanmiyur-Puducherry side, authorities need to establish a proper bus stand" that would better manage public transport movements.
