The Highways Department has started work to repair the potholes on a stretch of Tambaram-Mudichur Road.
“We carried out some initial work and removed the small-sized gravel and mud that had come out. In a couple of days, the potholes will be filled. If the weather permits, the road will get a fresh layer of bituminous tar,” an official said.
The 800-m stretch was damaged after storm-water drains were constructed at a cost of ₹15 crore on either side of the road to prevent inundation. The work to construct 3 km of drains had been taken up under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme. “It was a Y-shaped drain, and we had to cut across the road to join the two sides. We had to wait for the soil to settle before the road could be relaid,” another source said.
Janaki Chakravarthi, a resident of Mudichur, said it took her at least 20 minutes extra to reach Tambaram due to the poor shape of the road and the potholes. “The road was good even during the time when the work was carried out. For several months, it has been bad. The bus ride too is not comfortable. Usually, the bus takes around 10 minutes, and the ride would be mostly smooth. Near the bypass, it is in bad shape,” she said.
D. Krishna, another resident, said the road running from Vandalur to Mannivakkam was also in a bad shape. “Storm-water drain work was carried out there and completed. However, water still stagnates near the drain. Only the largers potholes were patched up after the work. Now, the rain have led to the patchwork getting undone. Motorists are forced to drive near the median since the rest of the road is in a very bad shape,” he said.
