CHENNAI: Service lanes laid on either side of OMR were meant to provide access to residents of neighbourhoods dotting the stretch. More than 13 years after toll operations began on the expressway, the service lane along the 10km stretch between the SRP Tools junction (at the intersection with Taramani-Velachery Road) and the one at Sholinganallur has almost completely been taken over by illegally parked vehicles of staff and clients of commercial establishments and small corporate offices, defeating the purpose for which the lanes were laid. Large potholes and unfilled parts of dug-up portions compound the problem, particularly in places like Thoraipakkam and Perungudi.
