CHENNAI: Traffic along Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) is all set to become better with the construction of Thiruporur and Kelambakkam bypasses gaining momentum. Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation (TNRDC) plans to open both the roads for public use by the end of this year. OMR, which is a six-lane road till Siruseri, becomes four lane after that.
IT professionals, who work at the local IT Park and stay at Padur, Kelambakkam and Thiruporur, use this road to reach office and get back home.
Besides this, south-bound vehicles use this stretch to reach Mahabalipuram or Pondicherry via East Coast Road (ECR). This led to frequent traffic jams in this area, particularly during peak hours. So, the TNRDC in 2018 proposed to construct two bypasses after Siruseri -- Kelambakkam (4.67 km) and Thiruporur (7.45 km) -- at an estimated cost of Rs201.3 crore to decongest the stretch. But the cost escalated due to delays.
TNRDC started constructing Thiruporur bypass in 2018 and acquired land from 13 villages in Chengalpattu district including Kazhipattur, Thandalam and Kalavakkam.
"Once the project is complete, ECR-bound motorists can skip the congested Thiruporur junction. Instead, they can take a left at Kalavakkam to reach Thandalam," said a TNRDC official.
Similarly, works along the bypass project, which was in limbo for a long time due to land acquisition issues, has resumed now. Since Kovalam Main Road cuts across this road, a bridge has been constructed at this junction to facilitate easier movement of vehicles, the official added.
G Satish, a resident-activist from OMR, said that for the entire 12km stretch between Kelambakkam and Sholinganallur, there’s no link to ECR.
At least in areas like Thoraipakkam, there are small bridges across the Buckingham Canal which allow movement of smaller vehicles. But there is no such option beyond Sholinganallur.
"The Indian Maritime University has constructed a link road at Semmancheri. It can be converted into a public way. This will reduce travel time and money spent on fuel," he said.
