Make ECR six-lane road, says Vaiko

CHENNAI: Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko has urged the State Government to convert the present four-lane East Coast Road to six-lane road in view of the increasing traffic and consequent accidents. In a statement here on Monday, Mr. Vaiko said when the road was inaugurated in 2001, the traffic density was 3000 vehicles per day. Now it had increased manifold and it would likely increase still further in the coming years. Simultaneously the number of accidents had also increased. There was no guarantee for safe travel for vehicle operators though they were paying heavy toll. As the existing four-lane road would not be sufficient to cater to the increasing road traffic, he wanted the State to widen the road. Besides the government should provide adequate medical facilities and warning signs at important junctions along the ECR.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/06/stories/2010040658410200.htm

State drives 6-lane ECR

May 10th, 2010 May 9
The state highways is set to widen a part of East Coast Road - from Tiruvanmiyur to Akkarai village in Sholinganallur - and make the stretch a four-lane highway. The department plans to later convert the stretch into a six-lane expressway. “The 11-km stretch from Tiruvanmiyur to Akkarai will be widened into a four-lane expressway. The state highways department has initially allocated Rs 10 crore for land acquisition,” a senior highways department official has said. The official said the notification for land acquisition would be issued in a week’s time. “The land has been identified for acquisition in Tiruvanmiyur, Kottivakkam, Neelankarai, Palavakkam, Injambakkam and Sholinganallur revenue villages. Considering future demand, land will be acquired for a six-lane road,” the official said. “At present, the road width varies from 18 to 20 metres. We need a riding surface of 30 metres for a six-lane road,” sources said. The proposal for road widening is being mooted to bring down the number of fatal accidents that take place on the road on a regular basis. “The major reason for the spate of accidents in the stretch is over-speeding. The absence of a median and narrow stretches are other reasons for the high number of accidents,” the highway official said.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/state-drives-6-lane-ecr-337