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CHENNAI INFRASTRUCTURE: The Ponneri High Road handles a lot of heavy vehicle traffic, but it is barely usable. It does not have to be so bad. A former Deputy Director of the Highways Research Station, D. Thirunakkarasu says, “Research has proved that a perfectly paved road surface with proper camber will last for 25 years if there are no road cuts.” Photo: S.S.Kumar

NO AUTO REVOLUTION HERE: Motorists suffer financial and productivity loss as lack of roads damages vehicles and hinders movement. This scene is at Sastha Nagar, Villivakkam. Photo: S. Thanthoni

AN OLD, FAMILIAR PROBLEM: Motorists using the Vysarpadi bridge have seen nothing different for years. Successive governments have been unable to provide a remedy. Photo: R. Ravindran

NO QUALITY CONTROL? Even at the minimum, a road laid to proper specifications should last for 10 years, says V. Thamizh Arasan, professor, Transportation Engineering Division, Dept. of Civil Engineering, IIT-Madras. “If the roads are laid as per specification using better quality control, then the normal lifespan of bituminous road is 10 years. The road should be given proper camber, where the road should slope to the margins. Part of the problem is not adhering to the specification and inadequate quality control measures. ” This scene is from Arumbakkam after the recent rains. Photo: M. Vedhan

TRAFFIC TRAUMA: A traffic jam at the badly damaged Jawaharlal Nehru Road at Arumbakkam. Highways Department officials say traffic diversion on service roads from the main carriageway for the Metro Rail project led to the damage. Motorists point out that even the available carriageway has more pot holes than motorable surface. Photo: M. Vedhan

DRAINING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE: Stagnant water could damage the road but poor drainage is only one of the reasons for the problem, says Professor V. Thamizh Arasan, of IIT-Madras' Transportation Engineering Division. This is the scene at Arumbakkam. Photo: M. Vedhan

CENTRE INVOKES GUARANTEE: The Central government has now instituted a liability clause for State PWD, to guarantee the quality of work on national highways. The materials used must also be independently certified. What stops the State government from instituting similar checks, motorists ask. At present, they must negotiate massive stones on several roads, such as near the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus at Koyambedu in Chennai. Photo: S.S. Kumar

RUINING COSTLY PUBLIC ASSETS: Among those suffering loss due to the bad quality of road infrastructure is the Metropolitan Transport Corporation. Every year, it has to contend with tyre damage and breakdowns for vehicles that are already in poor shape. Photo: S.S. Kumar

NO FINAL SOLUTION: Will the costly proposals to lay roads afresh bring about a long-term solution? The city has been sanctioned projects to relay 44 Bus Route Roads and 778 interior roads at a cost of nearly Rs.50 crore. The civic body is also planning to repair concrete roads in 62 slums, the Mayor said. A scene near the 100 ft road at Vadapalani. Photo: S.S. Kumar

PERENNIAL NEGLECT: Choolaimedu is, to many of its residents, in the blind spot of the city. The road network is bursting at the seams and the rains have made the nightmare worse. Will the scheme of the civic body and various government departments to improve roads provide relief to this area? Photo: S.S.Kumar

NO ROAD RAGE: Vehicles crawl along a battered stretch of road between Koyambedu market and the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus. Photo: S.S. Kumar

SINGARA CHENNAI: To many motorists, Chennai is a fair weather city. During 2010, all months since May have witnessed rains. Poor arrangements to drain water, remove mounds of soil generated by digging, and make instant repairs have left all road users, notably pedestrians, a harried lot. A scene at Choolaimedu. Photo: S.S. Kumar

MUDDY VISTAS: On most roads, the margins are useless to both pedestrians and other classes of users. On some, even the central section shares the same fate. Each year, the Chennai Corporation and suburban municipal authorities cite rain damage as the reason for broken roads. Here, R.K. Mutt road waits for basic repairs. Photo: K.V. Srinivasan