GCC relays Choolaimedu roads in a rush; now they’re uneven, already crumbling in places | Chennai News

Chennai: Residents of Choolaimedu traded potholes for a different peril on Tuesday morning as a hurried overnight relaying of roads left entire stretches unnaturally elevated, uneven and crumbling. On Tuesday, residents woke up to find that Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had laid as many as four roads along the 2-km Choolaimedu High Road stretch without milling the existing surface. The works covered Thiruvengadapuram Main Road, Ameerjan Street, Abdullah Street and Khan Street. As per Indian Roads Congress (IRC) norms, the existing bituminous surface must be milled to a depth of 40mm before relaying, ensuring that the final road level remains uniform. However, residents pointed out that this process was not followed in many parts of Choolaimedu.What was meant to fix battered, crater-ridden roads has instead raised road levels significantly, creating sharp edges at junctions and uneven gradients. In some stretches, the freshly-laid bitumen has already begun to peel off. U Ganeshan, a resident, said, “As election nears, the corporation is hurriedly fixing patchy roads. They could have given us a heads-up: residents woke up to tar stains on their vehicles, which will cost at least 3,000 to remove.“Residents also flagged a lack of coordination between departments. K Prakash, an advocate from Thiruvengadapuram 1st street, said several interior roads were dug up last month for Metrowater work, which remains incomplete. “Now roads have been relaid, but they may be dug up again once the pending work resumes. This is a waste of public money,” he said. Regional deputy commissioner H R Kaushik confirmed that interior roads must have been milled before relaying. “The roads will be inspected and action will be taken,” he said.