Foreshore Estate signal, a daily choke point for beachside commuters

Ongoing Metro construction leads to long delays and heavy congestion during peak hours | Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran

For residents of Foreshore Estate and the thousands who travel daily from Adyar, Santhome, and Raja Annamalai Puram, the Foreshore Estate signal is a critical yet dreaded part of the commute. Particularly during the evening rush from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., this stretch becomes a slow-moving maze of honking vehicles, poor lane discipline, and inconsistent traffic control.

The situation has worsened in recent months due to the ongoing Chennai Metro rail construction, which has narrowed lanes and pushed more vehicles into an already tight space. As workers and machinery occupy parts of the road near the junction, vehicles are forced to navigate through uneven paths and sharp diversions, compounding delays during peak hours.

This signal serves as a convergence point for traffic heading towards Marina Beach, Mylapore, and Loop Road. The intersection often becomes a choke point due to the combined pressure of pedestrian flow from beach visitors, frequent MTC buses, autos, and vehicles parked along the roadside, all of which spill into the main carriageway and disrupt traffic movement.

“There’s no clear direction in which way traffic moves,” says K. Vidya, a daily commuter. “At peak hours, it becomes a free-for-all. Two-wheelers cut across any gap they find, cars honk without pause, and no one waits for signals,” she said.

The chaos is further aggravated by illegal U-turns near the bus stop, despite visible signboards prohibiting them. These turns, often taken right in front of traffic personnel, slow down oncoming vehicles, and create sudden stops. “One wrong move and there’s a pile-up,” notes Nafiz Abdul, a food delivery worker who crosses the junction several times a day.

Pedestrian movement

Pedestrians fare no better. The absence of usable pavements makes road crossing dangerous, especially for senior citizens and schoolchildren. “We just wait for a gap in the traffic and run,” says Bhuvana S., a local resident. The edge of the road is damaged, and parked autos block the view.

Shopkeepers near the signal report frequent minor accidents, particularly involving two-wheelers skidding near the flyover turning. Oil spills, loose sand, and a lack of timely road maintenance are often to blame. “Accidents happen almost every other day, but unless someone is seriously injured, it’s just brushed aside,” says a roadside vendor.

Although traffic police are stationed at the signal during busy hours, enforcement remains weak. Barricades set up to guide vehicles into lanes are often pushed aside or ignored altogether. Adding to the congestion are unauthorised parking practices, including heavy vehicles parked along service roads, limiting space for moving traffic.

With arterial roads like Anna Salai already exceeding capacity, and beachside routes increasingly clogged during both weekdays and weekends, the Foreshore Estate signal has become a daily frustration for coastal commuters. Unless better traffic engineering, stricter enforcement, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure are introduced, the bottleneck is unlikely to ease anytime soon.

Published - June 06, 2025 06:00 am IST