<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/30982990.cms" /> With so many highway movies doing the rounds, sojourning from city to city and state to state feels like a romantic prelude to a long <keyword id="6374782" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="journey">journey</keyword> of self-discovery – till reality strikes. And just like a movie, the reality can be multilayered – varying from bad roads to gasping traffic and minimal road safety. But we promised you relief from those travelling conditions the next time we return with our <keyword id="2053047" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Open-roads">Open Roads</keyword> series. And here we are, with more information about a whole new bunch of <keyword id="2074695" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intracity-and-inter-city-expressways">intracity and inter-city expressways</keyword> that not only reduce <keyword id="4251245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Commute-time">commute time</keyword> but also reshape a country’s landscape, <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> and way of life. In the last slideshow of this series, the journey begins from the <keyword id="44875" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-coast">west coast</keyword> and goes down south. 
 As we have mentioned before, expressways are limited-access roads designed for high-speed traffic. The economic impact of an <keyword id="2074705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Expressway-network">expressway network</keyword> criss-crossing the country is all too obvious and the <keyword id="6404450" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Road-Transport-and-Highways">Ministry of Road Transport and Highways</keyword> (MoRTH) has already recommended a total <keyword id="2074707" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="E-way-network">e-way network</keyword> of about 18,637 km in the country. Development work is being done in three phases and is scheduled to be completed by 2022. During the Interim Budget, <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="43940" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="P-Chidambaram">P Chidambaram</keyword> also told the Parliament the road network in the country witnessed over sevenfold increase at 3.89 lakh km over the past decade. 
 Does that mean we may soon see an <keyword id="2074709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="E-way-ecosystem">e-way ecosystem</keyword> similar to the interstate system in the US? Given the obstacles in terms of <keyword id="6364579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Land-acquisition">land acquisition</keyword>, <keyword id="414903" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="fund-crunch">fund crunch</keyword> and <keyword id="2074714" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Slow-implementation">slow implementation</keyword>, it’s definitely going to take some time. Meanwhile, hop into the driver’s seat and go off exploring some super-fast roads you have not travelled yet. After all, it’s a journey with no end… and wheels will always need roads. 
 
Image: Thinkstock Photos/Getty Images

Be It Intracity Or
Inter-city, These 5 Expressways Make Travelling A Breeze

As <keyword id="6386783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyclone" source="Orion">Cyclone</keyword> Michaung approaches towards the North Tamil Nadu coast, several areas of <keyword id="12864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chennai" source="Orion">Chennai</keyword> were left inundated due to heavy rainfall and severe <keyword id="52295" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="waterlogging" source="Orion">waterlogging</keyword>. The rainwater accumulated to the extent that the vehicles were completely submerged in water. Heavy spell of rain throughout the night has caused waterlogging in the state due to which traffic jams were witnessed in several parts of the city. There was heavy traffic jam in Chennai's Chrompet GST Road following heavy rainfall in the region. Due to heavy rainfall at north-Chennai areas, Vadakarai road from Madhavaram to Sengunram was completely immersed in water. The NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in the city in view of the upcoming cyclone. Frequent <keyword id="6361137" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="power-cuts" source="Orion">Power cuts</keyword> and waterlogging in the low lying areas of the city caused disruption to the normal life. Thillai Ganga Nagar Subway in Alandur has also been closed due to heavy waterlogging in the region. It has been raining heavily since early morning today with cyclonic winds, due to which the lakes and ponds in Chengalpattu district have filled up and the bus roads in all areas have been flooded. Due to flooding in Kilyar Bridge near Madhuranthakam, transport to ten villages has been affected. Mahabalipuram-Chengalpattu road is completely flooded and traffic has been cut off. Due to the <keyword id="6385438" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heavy-rains" source="Orion">heavy rains</keyword> and strong winds in Mahabalipuram area, power poles have fallen and electricity has been cut off at various places. The Indian Meteorological department has predicted heavy rainfall in Chennai and surrounding areas for the next 24 hours. As per IMD, heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts for the next 24 hours. As per the Met Department " CS MICHAUNG lay centered over Westcentral &amp; adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamilnadu coasts about 110 km east-northeast of Chennai, 190 km southeast of Nellore, 210 km northeast of Puducherry, 310 km south-southeast of Bapatla and 330 km southeast of Machilipatnam at 0530 hrs 4 Dec. Likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify &amp; cross betwn Nellore and Machilipatnam close to Bapatla during forenoon of 5 Dec as SCS." Eleven express trains from Chennai Central were cancelled on Monday after the water level reached the danger mark at Bridge No. 14 between Vyasarpadi and Basin Bridge owing to heavy downpours. "In view of heavy rain in Chennai and the water crossing the danger level in Bridge No. 14 between Basin Bridge and Vyasarpady stations, the trains have been regulated as given below. Please go through and plan your journeys accordingly. We regret the inconvenience caused," the Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai, Southern Railway, posted on X. The trains suspended are "12007 Mysuru Shatabti Express, 12675 Coimbatore Kovai Express, 12243 Coimbatore Shatabti Express, 22625 KSR Bengaluru AC Double Decker Express, 12639 KSR Bengaluru Brindavan Express and 16057 Tirupati Sapthagiri Express."

Traffic jams, roads inundated; Heavy downpour in Chennai causes disruption to normal life

A dozen people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in and around the city while personnel on fishing boats and farm tractors were engaged in rescuing stranded people on Tuesday. The city and adjoining districts faced relentless <keyword id="13672" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rains" source="Orion">rains</keyword> on Monday as the severe cyclonic storm Michaung loomed over the north coastal areas of Tamil Nadu. Eleven others, who sustained injuries in rain-related incidents, were receiving treatment in various hospitals, officials said. Several District Disaster Response Teams (DDRT) were formed to carry out relief work in all rain-affected areas across the city. In Muthialpet locality in the city's outskirts, 54 families were rescued, and a woman who had just given birth was relocated to a safer place from Saligramam in the city. More than 250 people from low-lying areas found refuge at a school camp in Kotturpuram. Additionally, 22 passengers stranded after their local bus got stuck in rainwater, were transferred to a relief camp set up at the Middle School in Pallavaram. Since Tuesday morning, most parts of <keyword id="12864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chennai" source="Orion">Chennai</keyword> experienced a respite from rains, allowing officials to focus on rescue and relief operations in affected areas. During a press conference at the Chennai Corporation headquarters on Tuesday morning, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin stated that relief measures were being undertaken on a war footing. Stalin mentioned that across the nine affected districts, including Chennai, a total of 61,666 relief camps were established. Approximately 11 lakh food packets and one lakh milk packets have been distributed so far, he said. The Chennai Corporation has brought in 5000 workers from other districts for flood mitigation works in the city. These workers utilised farm tractors and fishing boats in flooded areas such as Periamet and other parts of north Chennai for rescue operations and distributing relief materials. Residents in areas like suburban Tambaram, Ashok Nagar, Kattupakkam, and Perungudi complained about the lack of power restoration despite the rain ceasing for several hours. Mukesh Chordia, a resident of Ashok Nagar, mentioned that although water had receded from the main roads in the area, power supply had not been restored. Press Trust of India (PTI) Chennai's Deputy News Editor Annie Thomas residing in Koymabedu near the city's main outstation bus terminus said, "Last time (2015), after three days of being stuck due to waterlogging, we waded out in thigh-level water and stayed in serviced apartment for a day, then at a friend's place for two days." Thomas added, "This time our apartment complex is once again surrounded by water. We are on the second floor. There is no power supply and I am conserving the charge on my phone as much as possible. I don't know how long tap water supply will last." Chief Minister M K Stalin informed reporters that the power situation was being restored in phases. He noted that the handling of the situation was far better compared to the 2015 <keyword id="48088" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="floods" source="Orion">floods</keyword> when the AIADMK was in power. Stalin pointed out that the 2015 floods were caused by an unplanned release of one lakh cusecs from the Chembarambakkam reservoir in the city's outskirts into the Adyar river, leading to man-made floods. He said that the current situation, natural floods caused by torrential rains, was efficiently managed by the state. He explained that during the current spell of rains, only a maximum of 8,000 cusecs of water was released into the Adyar and Cooum rivers from the Chembarambakkam reservoir in a planned manner. Among the 12 people who lost their lives in rain-related incidents were a 60-year-old woman in Foreshore Estate and a 48-year-old man who worked as a head constable at the Integral Coach Factory police station, according to an official release. Further detailing the DDRT's measures, the official release mentioned the rescue of three individuals trapped when a makeshift generator room collapsed due to heavy rains. Additionally, three members of a family were safely evacuated after their house was submerged in water in Adyar. The release also noted the closure of nearly 16 subways due to inundation and the removal of fallen trees at 60 locations. Meanwhile, Minister for Milk and Dairy Development T Mano Thangaraj stated that the production of five lakh milk units at the Ambattur dairy of Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Ltd, popularly known as 'AAVIN,' was affected as the factory was completely submerged due to rainfall. Thangaraj added that the AAVIN diaries in Sholinganallur and Madhavaram were operating at full capacity, supplying milk to Chennai from factories located in other districts. He assured, "A sufficient amount of milk and milk products are available," while urging retail outlets to cooperate in distributing milk to consumers.

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Be It Intracity Or Inter-city, These 5 Expressways Make Travelling A Breeze

Sanghamitra Mandal

Traffic jams, roads inundated; Heavy downpour in Chennai causes disruption to normal life

ANI

Death toll rises to 12; Boats and tractors used in rescue efforts in rain-hit Chennai

PTI