Kolathur, Villivakkam commuters have to wait longer for Metro Rail

The underground stretch from Kolathur Junction to Villivakkam MTH Road has five stations. The tender, floated to build underground stations, had to be cancelled as the bidders quoted high prices. The process to refloat the tender took more time, say CMRL officials

For residents of Kolathur, Srinivasa Nagar, and Villivakkam who are dreaming of travelling by Metro Rail to different parts of Chennai, the wait might be longer as the work has been delayed.

Forming part of the 118.9-km phase II is corridor 5, which runs from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur through Villivakkam and Virugambakkam to a distance of 44.6 km. A stretch of this corridor, from Kolathur Junction to Villivakkam MTH Road, is underground. This five-km stretch has five stations: Kolathur Junction, Srinivasa Nagar, Villivakkam, Villivakkam Bus Terminus, and Villivakkam MTH Road.

According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), a few years ago, the tender, which was floated to build underground stations, had to be cancelled since the bidders quoted very steep prices. Since the process to refloat the tender took more time, the stretch will face a considerable delay. “The station work has begun along this stretch and we hope to finish it as fast as we can despite the challenges we face,” an official said.

Daily struggle

The delay is an additional disappointment to commuters who are already dealing with several issues. In many locations along corridor 5, including Kolathur, Villivakkam, or even Virugambakkam, commuters struggle with traffic congestion or minor diversions or lack of footpath ever since the work has started. Madhavan, a resident of Kolathur, says that even if one stretch is delayed, people who reside in those areas are the most affected. “We have to endure everything from spending more on fuel to congestion for several more months. It is unfair,” he says.

Venugopal, a resident of Veedhi Nagar at Kolathur, says that travelling from his residence to Villivakkam or Padi, navigating through narrow stretches because of diversions, is inconvenient. “For instance, anyone heading to Don Bosco School at Srinivasa Nagar or travelling through that street always gets caught in a jam in the afternoons when children leave. Since the street has only limited space and a part of it is blocked for the construction, it is a challenge to pass through the stretch in the afternoons,” he adds.

For Muthulakshmi of Thirumurugan Nagar, who walks down to her workplace at Srinivasa Nagar, it has become a circuitous route. Rajagopalan G., resident of Villivakkam, is worried that one of the borewells in the locality will be closed for the underground work. “We have four borewells, with each one set aside for five families; and one will be closed. While the authorities have promised that a new one will be sunk, residents are anxious,” he says.

Slow traffic

Though the roads are largely in good shape now, the slow-moving traffic at peak hours has been irking them. Commuting to areas close by or far off has been taking more time. Residents say that in Villivakkam too, they have to go through narrow streets and their commute time has gone up.

During the peak hours or in the afternoons when schools close, commuters face heavy traffic, Mr. Rajagopalan says. “Earlier, it used to take about 20 minutes to travel from Villivakkam to Koyambedu, but now we need 40 minutes,” he says.

There needs to be more signage near the construction sites to guide commuters. If a street is closed, commuters have to take a detour and for anyone entering the area for the first time, it will be pretty confusing, Mr. Rajagopalan says.

At Thirumangalam, vehicle movement at the peak hours is slow and there is congestion near VR Mall and on the 15th Main Road and the 12th Main Road.

Further down in corridor 5, these issues persist on Kaliamman Koil Street at Virugambakkam. On the stretch that has always grappled with congestion during peak hours, commuters run into some more problems. Sometimes, the street lights along the stretch don’t function and the commuters depend on the illumination from the shops.

Arumainathan, a resident of Virugambakkam, says he takes almost half an hour now to reach Koyambedu during the peak hours as against 10 minutes earlier. “Most importantly, I dread walking along this stretch now. The ongoing work and encroachment have barely left any footpath for commuters. Senior citizens have to walk home carefully,” he adds.

Missed deadlines

Since the Metro Rail work has been going on at numerous locations, driving has become a tiring exercise, commuters say. “The worst part is that the deadlines are never met. If we know that the inconvenience is going to last only for a year or two, commuters will accept. But this process seems to be going on for several years, and they are not forthcoming about delays and deadlines,” a commuter says.

Published - September 24, 2024 11:30 pm IST