Fed up with waiting for 15-20 minutes every day to cross the junction at Pattabiram near the police station, residents have urged the Highways Department to build a roundabout.

Alarmelmangai, a resident, said that the junction is where a road over bridge (ROB) connecting Thandarai village with Pattabiram lands, and the number of roads meeting at that point is far too many to handle for motorists and pedestrians alike.

“The bridge is six lanes wide and there is one service lane on either side. This is a junction from where MG Road runs to the railway station. There are schools, colleges and hospitals nearby and therefore, rush hours are maddening. We don’t have policemen at all times, which means people have run across almost all ways,” she said.

U-turn bottleneck

J. Jayaraman, another resident, said that when vehicles from Chennai Outer Ring Road come from Thandarai side to go to the nearby Tidel Park, they have to take a U-turn and go below the ROB, which makes the roundabout all the more important.

The bus terminus is right next to the Tidel Park and that too keeps getting buses.

T. Sadagopan, president, Tamil Nadu Progressive Consumer Centre, said that some parking space too should be provided for vehicles near the junction. A skywalk at the junction would be a safer option for pedestrians than zebra crossings.

Land acquisition has been completed for a roundabout.

They only have to construct one, which will reduce accidents due to over speeding, Mr. Sadagopan added.