Roads to new Secretariat to be widened

Published on 21 Aug 2009

G Saravanan

Chennai, August 20: WALLAJAH Road and Swami Sivananda Salai, the roads that run along the southern and northern flanks of the government estate, will be converted into four-lanes at a cost of Rs 5 crore by the Corporation before the State Secretriat moves into its new building on the estate premises in March 2010.

The decision was taken in view of the expected increase of traffic on the roads, based on a study revealing that more than 12,000 vehicles, including 4,000 cars and 7,000 two- wheelers drive into the present Secretariat complex at Fort St George every day. According to Corporation sources, processes related to widening of the roads and two bridges on them have been finalised and tenders would be floated by next week. The work would be completed before January 2010.

The two-km stretch of the 15 metre wide Wallajah Road, branching off from Anna Salai to reach Labour Statue, will be 29 metres wide and the 13-metre wide Swami Sivananda Salai from Napier Bridge to Anna Salai will be made 19 metres broad. Though the widening of Swami Sivananda Salai would be an easy affair as there are no private property on either side, Wallajah Road is lined by commercial establishments on one side.