Chennai Roads Still Neglected Despite ₹1,692 Crore Spent Since 2021
Chennai’s ongoing road infrastructure crisis has deepened despite the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) spending over ₹1,692 crore since 2021 on road-laying and repairs. While the city was promised smoother roads across its expanding footprint, the ground reality tells a different story—especially for residents of North Chennai and newly added zones. More than 900 roads remain untouched, with hundreds more dropped from civic plans due to pending utility works. Residents continue to face potholes, flooding, and degraded surfaces, calling into question the governance and equity of Chennai’s urban planning.
Much of the frustration stems from repeated delays caused by overlapping civic projects. While GCC claims that 15,107 of the city’s 18,895 roads have been completed, around 425 stretches have been dropped from current plans due to the absence of no-objection certificates from utility agencies. Experts say this systemic failure to coordinate among departments has led to repeated digging and relaying, wasting public funds. New areas integrated into the city limits remain disproportionately underserved, raising concerns over environmental sustainability, road safety, and administrative accountability. The root of the problem lies in the lack of synchronised planning between key stakeholders like Metrowater, the metro rail agency, and electricity providers. Several roads that were newly laid after elections in 2021 were almost immediately excavated for underground utility work.
In many areas, this cycle has repeated multiple times without proper reinstatement. While officials cite fund allocation delays as a reason, residents argue that only a fraction of sanctioned budgets is effectively utilised, with the rest lost to inefficiencies and alleged corruption. Meanwhile, road quality continues to deteriorate across many neglected zones. Adding to the problem, Chennai missed the most optimal season—April to July—for road relaying due to administrative inertia. Civic engineers agree that heat and low rainfall in these months provide ideal conditions for durable road work. However, the GCC began its work only in July this year, compromising road quality yet again. Critics argue that unless Chennai adopts a structured annual relaying calendar and ensures accountability through safety audits and quality checks, the cycle of wasteful expenditure and substandard infrastructure will persist.
A dedicated audit mechanism, similar to those used on highways, is being demanded by civic activists.Despite the GCC claiming that over 6,000 roads were relaid post-Cyclone Michaung and a fresh ₹486 crore allocated for current works, the results remain uneven. Many affected roads, particularly in low-income or peri-urban zones, are still unfit for safe commute. Public confidence in the administration has eroded, with residents expressing fatigue over repeated complaints and broken promises. For Chennai to transition into a sustainable and liveable city, a more equitable, transparent, and data-driven infrastructure management system is not only essential but long overdue.
