Metro work makes a mess of Chennai roads

CHENNAI: Construction for metro rail’s Phase 2 has begun and roads in at least 14 localities have been barricaded, but police are yet to come up with a proper plan to ease traffic flow. Now, there is either a policeman or metro rail-deployed marshal to regulate traffic in some areas.
Later, as construction extends to other stretches, more city streets will be taken over leaving motorists to struggle on shrunken road space. The 118.9km Phase 2 of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) is expected to be completed by 2025.
Roads in areas like Kodambakkam, Vadapalani, Saligramam, Vadapalani, Karambakkam, Porur, Iyyappanthangal, Kattupakkam, Poonamallee, Madhavaram, Ayanavaram, Purasawalkam, Royapettah and Tidel Park are partially barricaded with some having traffic only on one lane. “There will be congestion in some places, but we are trying to minimize inconvenience for motorists by dividing the entire work into small sections and completing it in a planned timeline,” a CMRL official said.