Chennai: With Metro rail services set to begin soon on the 14.6km Poonamallee–Porur stretch, highways department has cleared a total of 3,214 long-standing encroachments along the busy Mount-Poonamallee High Road to ease traffic congestion and improve road safety. For more than a decade, nearly one-third of the 20ft-wide highway, which connects Poonamallee Bypass to Porur Junction, was occupied by illegal building extensions, pavement shops, and roadside vendors selling, fast food, and meat. This led to severe traffic bottlenecks.
During a visit on Sunday, TOI found that most of the shops were removed, and building projections extending onto the road were demolished. The cleared space significantly widened the carriageway, allowing smoother movement of heavy vehicles and cars. A senior state highways dept official said the stretch witnesses nearly one lakh vehicles an hour. “The original road width was about 20ft. With encroachments cleared, we are planning to widen it by another 2 to 3ft. Work will begin in a few days and is expected to be completed before April,” the official said.Residents say traffic delays are a daily struggle. Mohammed Subhan, a resident of Kattupakkam, said it takes 45 to 60 minutes to travel from Poonamallee Junction to Porur flyover. “There are no proper diversion boards or clear signals at many junctions, even though most of the Metro work is over. Officials must install proper signboards along the entire stretch,” he said. Porur MLA A Krishnaswamy said that the floating population has increased in city suburbs, especially in Poonamallee and Porur. “It is a good move by the highways dept to clear the encroachments and widen the roads. This will help reduce traffic congestion and help commuters drive freely,” he added.
