A vital traffic lane on one of Chennai's major arterial roads has been effectively taken out of commission, leading to severe congestion and safety hazards for daily commuters. The sixth lane of the 100 Feet Road, also known as the Inner Ring Road, on the stretch between Koyambedu and Vadapalani is now impossible for vehicles to use. This public space has been overrun by a combination of diagonally parked cars, abandoned construction materials, and encroaching roadside shops.
From Six Lanes to Four: How Encroachments Choke a Key Corridor
This important road connects North Chennai's Manali area to Kathipara in Guindy, passing through major localities including Madhavaram, Anna Nagar, Koyambedu, Vadapalani, and Ashok Nagar. While the northern section up to Villivakkam operates smoothly as a full six-lane road with proper service lanes and footpaths, the central Chennai segment tells a different story. Here, the corridor is effectively narrowed down to just four working lanes because the sixth lane and the pavements are illegally occupied.
The problems are visible at multiple points. Just before the road branches off into Arcot Road, stacks of unused metal pipes lie dumped directly on the carriageway. In the Arumbakkam area, scores of private cars are parked diagonally, completely occupying the lane. This pattern of encroachment repeats near the Virugambakkam canal and in front of a long row of roadside shops that have expanded their operations onto the public road.
Daily Bottlenecks and Pedestrian Peril
The consequences of losing this lane are severe and daily. With the sixth lane blocked, all vehicular traffic is forced to squeeze into the remaining two lanes in each direction. This compression triggers predictable and frustrating bottlenecks every day. The situation is further worsened because even within these two constricted lanes, vehicles often move in the wrong direction, adding to the chaos.
The crisis isn't limited to those in vehicles. Pedestrians are facing significant dangers. Sathish Kumar, a local resident, highlighted that people are now forced to walk on the road itself because the pavements are completely blocked. "This has led to garbage and sewage accumulating on the walking paths. We shouldn't have to risk our lives simply when walking," he stated, pointing out the public health and safety hazards.
Unfinished Work and Lingering Problems
While the Highways department originally expanded the road to include this sixth lane decades ago, the most recent disruption stemmed from a major infrastructure project. The construction of a 550-meter-long stormwater drain from Vadapalani to the Periyar Pathai signal at Arumbakkam, undertaken at a cost of ₹3.6 crore, significantly affected the area.
Although the primary drain work is now complete, critical restoration has been left unfinished. The pavements remain disconnected and the department has not yet repaired the damaged portions of the sixth lane that were affected during construction. Furthermore, illegal sewage connections to these unfinished drains cause additional problems, with waste water spilling onto the road during the monsoon season, creating unhygienic conditions.
The collective impact of these issues—illegal encroachments, abandoned materials, and incomplete restoration work—has transformed a key section of Chennai's Inner Ring Road from a solution into a significant traffic and civic problem, demanding urgent attention from authorities.
