Daily travel along Chennai’s Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), the city’s principal information technology corridor, has become increasingly time-consuming as congestion worsens across key junctions between Thiruvanmiyur and Sholinganallur. The growing delays are exposing deeper concerns around traffic management, construction-related disruptions and the long-term sustainability of mobility infrastructure in one of the region’s most important economic zones.
Commuters travelling through the corridor now report journey times that are significantly longer than they were a few years ago, with congestion extending well beyond traditional peak hours. Although a portion of the metro rail construction stretch has been restored, large sections remain constrained by ongoing infrastructure activity, creating bottlenecks that affect thousands of office workers and residents every day. Urban planners note that the issue extends beyond construction work. Unregulated U-turns, vehicles entering from the wrong direction, poor lane discipline and inadequate management of service roads have emerged as major contributors to delays. Areas around Thoraipakkam, Karapakkam and Sholinganallur have become particularly vulnerable, with conflicting traffic movements slowing vehicle flow and reducing road efficiency.
Illegal parking along service lanes has further aggravated conditions. Commercial establishments and roadside activity have increasingly occupied public spaces meant for circulation, narrowing available carriageways and reducing the capacity of an already stressed corridor. Residents’ groups have repeatedly highlighted the lack of consistent enforcement and the absence of sustained traffic management mechanisms at critical intersections. The worsening OMR traffic bottlenecks carry implications beyond commuter inconvenience. Rajiv Gandhi Salai is home to major technology parks and employment clusters, making efficient connectivity essential for economic productivity. Transport experts argue that prolonged congestion increases fuel consumption and vehicular emissions, undermining efforts to build low-carbon and climate-resilient urban systems. Officials overseeing road operations indicated that coordinated action with traffic enforcement agencies is being planned to address illegal parking and improve junction management. Measures such as rationalising U-turn locations and introducing additional traffic control systems are expected to be implemented once metro-related construction is fully completed and road space becomes available.
Mobility specialists say the challenges facing the corridor underscore the importance of integrating infrastructure expansion with active traffic management and people-first planning. As Chennai continues to grow, ensuring reliable movement across employment corridors will be critical not only for economic competitiveness but also for creating a more sustainable and equitable urban environment. The experience along OMR illustrates how infrastructure projects must be accompanied by effective governance and operational planning to ensure that short-term disruptions do not evolve into long-term constraints on urban mobility. Addressing OMR traffic bottlenecks will therefore remain a key test for Chennai’s transport ecosystem in the years ahead.
