Chennai: Obstacles lurk on dark East Coast Road at night

The East Coast Road may be celebrated as the city’s entertainment corridor, but driving on the stretch between Kanathur and Mamallapuram is a nightmare.
The absence of street lights, the menace of free ranging cattle and vehicles coming in the wrong direction have made the 29-km stretch prone to accidents whose number on the stretch from Muttukadu to Mamallapuram has increased between 2020 and 2021, a majority of them after dusk.

The scenic tollway does not have a service lane or even a pavement for pedestrians. With a majority of the stretch from Uthandi toll plaza lacking streetlights, free ranging cattle are not visible until the last minute. Most of the lamp posts that exist are turned off, with just red reflectors pasted on them.
Besides, barricades around construction work pertaining to laying of pipeline from the desalination plant in Nemmeli are visible only at close quarters. Entry of vehicles from several link roads on to the carriageway is another problem.
This is in complete contrast to the stretch from Thiruvanmiyur to Kanathur, a pre-toll portion illuminated on both sides.
Police data shows that the number of accidents on the MuttukaduMamallapuram stretch rose by 24 between 2020 and 2021, with seven deaths last year. Maintained by Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), the road has an average movement of 10,000-12,000 vehicles during weekdays and 18,000-20,000 vehicles on weekends at Uthandi toll plaza. Of this, 30%-40% travel at night.
Nikhil Indrasenan of Muttukadu said the switching off of street lights after a certain time has made the stretch a travellers’ nightmare after the toll plaza, especially from Kanathur. “We can expect anyone to cross from interior streets, ending in accidents, vehicle damages or worse,” he said.
M Sivakumar of Neelankarai, who commutes between Chidambaram and Chennai on ECR regularly, said barricades at frequent intervals were a hindrance. “You notice them without reflectors only when you come very close. It is extremely difficult to reduce the speed and negotiate a turn in such situations even if vehicles are driving at the permissible speed of 80kmph,” he said.
Chengalpet collector A R Rahul Nadh said the highways department was asked to repair defunct streetlights. “Every local body has been instructed to levy a fine of 2,000 per head of cattle let out on the road.”