CHENNAI: There is absolute chaos during peak traffic hours at the intersection of the Race Course Road, Five Furlong Road and the Maduvankarai overbridge on Chakrapani Road in Guindy. The intersection is among the important routes to reach several southern suburbs including Adambakkam, Ullagaram, Puzhuthivakkam and parts of Madipakkam.It is also a link to Alandur, Gandhi Market and GST Road from the Maduvankarai side and is widely used by residents of Adambakkam, Alandur besides Velachery.Ever since, the Maduvankarai-Guindy overpass (which links Alandur, GST Road with Race Course Road, Maduvankarai) was opened to traffic in early 2009, there has been a tremendous increase in the volume of heavy vehicles criss-crossing the junction.Metropolitan buses to over a dozen locations that previously used to take the Guindy overbridge on GST Road now pass through the Race Course Road and use the new overpass to reach the GST Road and Kathipara point.Also, buses from several routes including ones from Velachery and Tiruvanmiyur take the overbridge to Kathipara grade separator. As if all this was not enough, the location is used by countless commercial vehicles plying to Gandhi Market on the Alandur side.All these factors have significantly contributed to the manifold increase in the volume of traffic in this area. Especially during the peak hours, it is an exasperating experience to negotiate this stretch. Vehicles from all directions tend to speed up as the road was widened and relaid as part of the over bridge works. Traffic from Race Course heading towards Adambakkam almost comes head on with vehicles from the opposite Five Furlong side everyday. Similarly, the vehicles from the overpass going towards Velachery and the ones from Chakrapani Road towards the city pile up near the junction. Not only are there any speed breakers or traffic lights, not even a single cop is deputed in the busy place even during peak hours. When vehicles take diverse directions without slowing down, it becomes a hellish experience and there has been many minor mishaps. M Venkatesh, a resident of Balakrishnapuram in Adambakkam uses the route everyday to commute to office. Recalling a recent mishap, he says, “Last Tuesday, a car hit a motorcyclist and sped away during the peak hour. While the car was heading towards Race Course from Five Furlong Road, the motorcyclist was turning towards the overpass from race course. Luckily, the rider escaped with a minor fracture.”K Kirubarakan, a resident of nearby Mosque Colony says the situation is unimaginable during rainy days. “Vehicles used to line up all through the Chakrapani, Race Course and Five Furlong Roads. This used to continue for hours together. Despite our requests, not a single cop was deployed here so far.”Many others had similar opinions and demanded the authorities to put up speed breakers, traffic lights and a policeman to regulate the traffic.
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