Residents along the Chennai Tirupathi High Road from Padi to Thiruninravur have urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to direct the Highways Department to widen the 22 km stretch.
The four-lane road has carried more than 1.5 lakh vehicles daily since 2013. Residents say traffic often moves below 30 kmph and accidents are frequent. R. Raghunathan of Ambattur noted that the journey can take nearly two hours on busy days. T. Sadagopan of Pattabiram said roads such as OMR and ECR were widened faster while raw sewage still flows along this stretch. In April 2013 former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced a six-lane upgrade and the government allocated ₹168 crore for land acquisition. Work began in December 2013 at a cost of ₹98 crore where land was available. The road has remained largely unchanged since then. Highways Department sources said the widening proposal remains under active consideration.