Chennai: The Chennai-Tiruvallur High Road (CTH Road) is the lifeline that connects the city with the national highways network. It also links the neighbourhoods of Ambattur, Avadi, Thirumullaivoyil, and many others, starting from Padi junction.
However, traffic has always been an issue at any part of the road, for it is estimated that more than one lakh cars use it every day, apart from bikes and trucks.
Part of National Highway 205, the road is at best 30 ft (nine metres) in its widest stretches, but is supposed to be 32 metres (100 ft) wide.
Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, in April 2013, had announced that the road would be widened into six lane. The State government had also allocated Rs 168 crore for the land acquisition after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) dropped the proposal to widen the 22 km stretch.
In December the same year, the Highways Department took up work to widen the stretch from end-to-end, wherever land was available, at a cost of Rs 98 crore.
Although most part of the road is now a four-laner, it hardly eases traffic claim residents and motorists. The reason they say is that heavy vehicles ply in large numbers at any given time on the road.
But good news has arrived as Alexander, the Member of Legislative Assembly of Ambattur, has confirmed that the widening works will start soon.
Speaking to News Today, he said, “The issue was taken up to the Chief Minister who has ordered a survey be made so that the road can be widened to accommodate six lanes.” He said the government is considering the project seriously as traffic is a major issue there. “From Padi (where the road begins), traffic never ceases on the road. If it is made into a six lane high road, then motorists will be able to travel faster. Travel time will be cut short,” he added.
Sources state that Rs 290 crore has been allotted for the project, but News Today was not able to confirm it.
“Residents of the neighbourhood have really been struggling to commute because of the traffic snarls on the road. The fact that it has taken more than six years to come to this stage shows that the project has faced much opposition. Right from Associations of roadside shops to a few revenue villages, there has been opposition. Land acquisition has been tricky too. But the growing motorist count demands the project and if it is not done in time, many places of Ambattur will be choked. We will neither be able to enter the city nor leave. Hopefully, lawmakers do the work in full swing,” said Divakar, who works at the Industrial Estate.