Kotturpuram residents face long detours after Gandhi Mandapam Road traffic changes

Local residents in Kotturpuram, Chennai, have expressed severe frustration over a recent traffic reengineering initiative by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police on Gandhi Mandapam Road. The changes, which involved closing several median openings and switching off traffic signals, have made right turns and U-turns extremely difficult, forcing motorists to travel long distances to change direction.

The new traffic arrangement has led to widespread complaints, with residents reporting severe delays and exhaustion. The issue has become a dominant topic of discussion, with frustrated commuters sharing their experiences in local residents' association WhatsApp groups after spending long periods at the wheel on their commutes home.

Chandra Prabhakar, a committee member of the Nawab Gardens Residents Welfare Association, described the situation as a major ordeal for local commuters. She noted that because most of the median openings on Gandhi Mandapam Road have been closed and many traffic signals have been switched off, motorists can no longer make convenient right turns or U-turns.

According to Prabhakar, motorists coming from the Nandanam side over the bridge are now forced to travel all the way beyond Anna University before they can find an opening to make a U-turn.

In addition to completely closed medians, residents have complained about partially blocked openings. Temporary metal barricades have been placed at these spots, leaving only a very narrow gap. Prabhakar pointed out that even large cars struggle to maneuver through these small spaces, such as the opening located opposite Vellayan Street.

Prabhakar acknowledged that the traffic management philosophy of removing signal phases to keep main-road traffic flowing smoothly is used in many foreign countries. However, she explained that Indian cities have a very high volume of cars, two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, and buses that need to make right turns and U-turns.

Instead of distributing these turning movements across multiple junctions, the current system concentrates them at a few U-turn locations. This forces vehicles to compete with fast-moving traffic coming from the opposite direction, causing traffic to bunch up at these spots.

Residents of Kotturpuram are now calling for the traffic police to fully reopen more median openings along Gandhi Mandapam Road to resolve the ongoing congestion and delays.