Ramapuram's Endless Ordeal: How Delayed Stormwater Work Chokes a Major Road

For months, Ramapuram Main Road in Chennai has been a daily battlefield for commuters, residents, and businesses alike, as a vital stormwater drain construction project stretches far beyond its promised completion date. What began as an infrastructure upgrade in July 2023, with an ambitious target of November 2023, has devolved into a saga of frustrating delays, relentless traffic, and deteriorating road conditions, leaving the community in a state of utter exasperation.

The root of this widespread agony lies in the sluggish pace of the stormwater drain installation.

Intended to alleviate future flooding, the project has paradoxically plunged the present into chaos. Key stretches of Ramapuram Main Road, especially near the busy M.G.R. Salai junction and leading towards Arcot Road, have been reduced to bottlenecks, forcing motorists into a crawl that can turn a five-minute drive into a grueling 30-45 minute ordeal.

The once-bustling thoroughfare now epitomizes gridlock, with vehicles inching forward amidst a cacophony of horns and the rising dust of incomplete work.

Adding insult to injury, the construction zones are often poorly demarcated. Commuters frequently encounter haphazardly placed barricades, open pits, and debris, transforming the route into a hazardous obstacle course, particularly during peak hours and after dusk.

Potholes have proliferated, further compounding the misery and posing a significant risk of accidents. The lack of adequate lighting in certain areas only exacerbates these dangers, leaving motorists to navigate perilously through dimly lit, uneven stretches.

The impact extends far beyond just traffic jams.

Local businesses along Ramapuram Main Road are facing a severe downturn, with customers deterred by the inaccessible and chaotic environment. Residents, meanwhile, are enduring constant dust, noise pollution, and the sheer inconvenience of limited access to their homes. Their initial hope for improved civic amenities has soured into bitter disappointment, replaced by a daily struggle against the very project meant to enhance their quality of life.

Authorities from the Chennai Corporation had initially assured a swift resolution, but as the calendar pages turn, the ground reality remains unchanged.

The exasperated voices of motorists and locals echo a plea for accountability and urgent action. They question why a project with a clear timeline has been allowed to languish, holding an entire community hostage to its protracted completion. The residents of Ramapuram Main Road deserve immediate relief and a clear pathway to the timely conclusion of this long-overdue, yet still unfinished, vital infrastructure work.