Radhanagar subway to get design rejig

CHENNAI: Responding to a series of protests by residents and traders in Pallavaram, the Pallavapuram municipality in its council meeting passed a unanimous resolution asking the highways department to redesign the Radhanagar subway to make it two-way and allow movement of light vehicles.
Thousands of commuters, mainly college students, are forced to cross the railway tracks at Chromepet every day since work on the vehicular subway has been delayed.The partially constructed subway is filled with stagnant water and covered with undergrowth and garbage. Highways officials said work on the subway will resume in three months.
For thousands of residents of Radha Nagar and surrounding localities the only option to reach the arterial GST Road is by crossing the railway tracks. The MIT flyover is another option but it takes more time.
"The eastern side of Chromepet has developed fast and there are two colleges here - Madras Institute of Technology and Shrimathi Devkunvar Nanalal Bhatt Vaishnav College for Women. But students find it hard to reach the institutions from these areas. Students of Vaishanav college who use the MIT Flyover from Radha Nagar said they had to travel an extra 4km.
"A number of deaths have been reported near the railway crossing as people cross the tracks at the spot. The subway, when completed, will reduce such incidents," said Santhanam, president, Federation of Civic and Welfare Associations of Pallavaram.