Inadequate signage near Kilambakkam confuses commuters

Posing a problem: New-comers to the city accidentally take the flyover connecting Vandalur and Mannivakkam villages.
| Photo Credit: File photo

Confusion prevails among commuters driving to Chennai from the south as they cross the Kilambakkam-Vandalur stretch of the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road, which connects the city with places such as Tiruchi and Kanniyakumari.

Drivers say that there are inadequate number of clear signage providing direction before the flyovers at Urapakkam and Vandalur, and near the arm of the Chennai Outer Ring Road (CORR) that ends at Minjur. This is a problem, particularly for those who are new to the city. Anand Venkat, who hails from Tiruchi, said that while driving from Chengalpattu to Kilambakkam, the three flyovers were a bit confusing. “Even Google Maps do not seem to be clear at these locations. Many motorists slow down before they reach the bridges, hindering smooth flow of traffic – which defeats the purpose of the flyovers.”

Many times, new-comers to the city accidentally take the flyover connecting Vandalur and Mannivakkam villages. Later realising their mistake, they take a detour through small interior lanes to get back on the GST Road.

R. Nandagopal, a taxi driver, said there could be more signboards before each of these facilities. “People like me, who drive on this route regularly, do not have a problem since we don’t depend on signage. However, for those who do not regularly commute on the route, it is not easy. Perhaps, combined signboards placed much ahead of these facilities would be a better option,” he added. Official sources, however, said that signboards were present before all the flyovers. While the road belongs to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), these facilities have been constructed by the various wings of the State Highways. “If there is a need for more signboards, we can erect a few more,” a source in the NHAI said.

“We have already placed a couple of boards, and will place two more soon,” a source in the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company, which manages the CORR, said.