CHENNAI: ‘Take Diversion!’ Even the mere utterance of it would bring a smile on people’s faces in the city. Courtesy: the epic comedy scene from Vijay-starrer Thirumalai, in which actors Vijay and Vivekh would eventually end up in Tirupati after repeatedly being asked to take diversion.Although the scene from the movie was a big exaggeration, the track underlined the travails of the common man in a burgeoning metropolis with ever growing traffic woes. However, with work for the Chennai Metro Rail going on in full throttle, Chennaiites are often forced to undergo a situation that is much like the one in the movie. These diversions have been particularly hard for those who aren't great with navigation and get lost when thrown off their regular routes. And it doesn't stop with motorists. Even pedestrians have to take many turns, detours and cross over ‘sudden’ speed bumps, to get to their destinations.The majority of ‘diversion casualties’ is in South Chennai. Earlier, residents of Adambakkam and Alandur were able to take U-turn or right turn at the St Thomas Mount Head Post Office-Officers Training Academy (OTA) campus junction. But after Metro Rail work began, the junction was closed and now people have to go as far as the Airport Cargo Terminal point to take a turn. Similarly, Alandur residents, both bikers and pedestrians used the mini-underpass, right below the Kathipara Grade Separator (opposite Le Royal Meridien) to reach Paul Wells Road and Butt Road on the one side and Guindy on the other. But today, you see barricades heralding Metro Rail work, huge concrete-mixers, trucks and workmen almost blocking the open space providing access to the mini link subways. The rains have turned the pathways into slush ways and the underpasses into a ‘swimming pool’.The road closures and blockages, though carefully planned, have hit residents the worst. People residing in Vasudevan Nagar, Jebalan Street in Jafferkhanpet use the road adjacent to the Ekkaduthangal flyover to get to Jawaharlal Nehru Road. As many portions of this road have been occupied to facilitate Metro Rail work, that's a slightly more cumbersome task. The Barathidasan Colony in KK Nagar-Ashok Nagar junction is also shut. To take a turn, motorists now have to go all the way around Ashok Pillar.Similarly, people from Nerkundram Pathai and other residential localities in Vadapalani cannot take a right turn into the Inner Ring Road or cross over to the other side which leads to the Murugan Temple. As the space is blocked, only a left turn is allowed. People go all over till the Periyar Pathai, approximately a detour of 1.25km, to take a turn to the other side. The only road in the city where motorists cannot complain much of 'inconvenience' because of the barricades is the busy Anna Salai. Several portions of the 'main' road from Guindy flyover up to Teynampet are open and closed in tandem. Barricades spring up suddenly and vanish after a few weeks! Teynampet and DMS bus stop points are among the areas that recently saw what officials call 'soil testing' work.For the next three to four years, more barricades will inevitably come up and more junctions may be blocked. Diversions and detours may become a common thing, but as the saying goes, no gain without pain!
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