₹48-Crore Sardar Patel Road Widening Stalls Near IIT-Madras Signal

The ongoing expansion of Sardar Patel Road from the Raj Bhavan point to the IIT-Madras signal junction has been stalled for the past two months, worsening traffic congestion at the key intersection.

The ₹48-crore road-widening project, initiated by the highways department last year, remains incomplete across several stretches. As a result, the IIT-Madras junction continues to serve as a severe bottleneck, leading to round-the-clock traffic pile-ups.

Several sections near the highways department headquarters, Anna University, and the DOTE campus remain uncleared. Across the road, the department has not expanded the carriageway despite demolishing some structures. Near Gandhi Mandapam, trees were felled and demarcations established, but construction is yet to begin. Beyond IIT-Madras, the widened sections form a curved sixth lane rather than a uniform straight road due to irregular land acquisition.

Traffic movement across the area has been severely affected. Between Guindy and Kotturpuram, the road beside the IIT-Madras flyover has been widened, but barricades remain in place because the required widening on Kotturpuram Road is incomplete, preventing a free left turn. Meanwhile, motorists travelling from Adyar towards Guindy experience severe congestion from the L-flyover because the Gandhi Mandapam stretch has not been widened to six lanes. Commuters report taking around 20 minutes just to cross the junction.

A traffic police official from Madhya Kailash said a signal-free traffic plan scheduled for April had to be postponed due to the delays. More than 11,000 vehicles pass through the corridor every hour. The plan aims to provide a free left for vehicles heading from Guindy to Kotturpuram, a free right for vehicles from Adyar and OMR, and a U-turn under the L-flyover for traffic from Kotturpuram towards Guindy.

A highways department official attributed the delay to rising bitumen costs and restrictions during elections when Anna University was used as a strong room. The department expects the work to be completed by September.