The pockmarked Station Service Road in Velachery which has turned into a nightmare for motorists will soon undergo repairs, as the Chennai Corporation is all set set to take up improvement work on the stretch. The service road which was originally constructed by the Southern Railway and runs parallel to the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) from Velachery to Taramani railway station is a boon for motorists to escape the heavily-congested Taramani Link Road to reach Rajiv Gandhi Salai at Taramani. The service road was paved to create access road to Perungudi and Taramani railway stations for the residents of East Velachery.
Southern Railway handed over the 3.20-kilometre service road to the Chennai Corporation last year after it faced difficulties in maintaining the road. The civic body had, in the initial stages, installed the street lights for the road more than two years ago. The Station Service road had become unmotorable after it was dug up a few years ago for installing high tension underground power cable from the Taramani substation to Guindy substation for improving the electricity network by Tantransco.
S. Harshvardhan, a resident of Madipakkam, said the road has become busy during morning and evening peak hours as hundreds of motorists bound to Rajiv Gandhi Salai use this stretch. However the condition of the road is bad with the concrete poured over the gravel to patch up the dug-up portion of the road having worn out. Half the two-lane road cannot be used. The road becomes slushy with water stagnating in puddles whenever there is even a drizzle as the storm water drain network constructed on both sides of the road has been damaged in several places.
Social activist S. Kumararaja said the road was also once used by pedestrians who are now avoiding the uneven stretch riddled with potholes. The macro canal constructed to prevent flooding of residential colonies and help drain into the Pallikaranai marshland has been clogged with construction debris.
A senior official of the Chennai Corporation said a Detailed Project Report (DPR) was in the final stages of preparation as the entire upgradation and improvement works are to be executed at a total cost of Rs. 26 crore excluding the road relaying work. For the road repavement component, which is to be executed by Bus Route Road division, the cost comes to Rs. 8.09 crores. While the tender has been opened the work order for identifying the contractor was yet to be finalised.
The senior civic official pointing out the road improvement project to be carried out under ‘MRTS Sammoga Cholai cum healthwalk’ similar to pedestrian plaza would have the following components of well paved footpath, dedicated cycling track, road markings with walkway and kerb paintings, open gym, toilet block and waiting shelters, would completely transform the road.
New street lights along with high mast lamps at all the junctions have been proposed. Both the macro and micro drains running along the road would be fully renovated, tge official added.
Published – June 22, 2025 12:49 am IST