Pedestrians frequenting Gemini Circle and Thousand Lights on Anna Salai have requested the Chennai Traffic Police (CTP) to earmark zebra crossings on this section of the arterial stretch. Earlier, underpasses located opposite Sacred Heart Matriculation Higher Secondary School Church Park, Gopalapuram, and near the intersection of Greams Road and Anna Salai allowed the pedestrians to go over to the other side, safely and quickly. With the underpasses being closed for renovation for months, pedestrians are now forced to take a detour while crossing the arterial stretch. Maintenance work, including replacement of leaky roofs, provision of lighting, would be taken up. As part of the renovation, the walls abutting the staircases (exterior and interiors) would be replaced by toughened glass on the lines of Simpson underpass and the tiles on the interior flooring will be replaced, officials said. The renovation work would be completed in an another three months. Apart from that, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras will be fitted. Trash yard? The pavements near Gemini Flyover towards Thousand Lights are littered, forcing pedestrians to walk on the carriageway of Anna Salai. “Between Thousand Lights and Greams Road, vehicles are parked in the pavement area, forcing walkers to on to the carriageway. Adding to the woes of the pedestrians, slabs have been kept on the carriageway,” says S. Vijaya, a pedestrian. Near Saffire Theatre subway, due to uneven surface, no two pedestrians can walk at the same time. The slabs have been kept on the sideway abutting the carriageway. A CTP official, said, “ As the stretch comes under the jurisdiction of State Highways Department, we have to obtain their permission to create pedestrian crossings.”

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