Velachery-Perungudi stretch to turn weekend health corridor

Chennai: A desolate three-km stretch connecting Velachery and Perungudi railway stations is set for a makeover into a traffic-free fitness corridor — where residents can walk, skate, and cycle on weekends. The 15-crore restoration work on the road, taken up by Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), is nearing completion. Once the works are done, the civic body plans to close the stretch to traffic during weekends to make way for roller skating, cycling, marathons, and walking.

"We've sought police permission to close the stretch during weekends. Initially, it will be for three hours in the morning, and the duration will be extended based on public response," said GCC commissioner J Kumaragurubaran. "Velachery does not have adequate play areas, and residents wanted this stretch to be used for fitness activities . It will be ideal for five-km walking and cycling marathons," he added.

The corridor, abandoned by the railways since 1995, remained largely unused for nearly three decades. The area turned unsafe with encroachments, sewage stagnation, poor lighting, and overgrown weeds. Barely 2,000 people used it daily to reach the Perungudi MRTS.

Last year, GCC took over the stretch from the railways and began improvements such as restoring medians, building pavements, relaying the road, and installing streetlights. "Most of the works are complete. The stretch will be ready in a few weeks," Kumaragurubaran said.

Residents have welcomed the plan but sought proper parking arrangements and strict hawker regulation. "If people are allowed to use the road, more cars will come. Parking slots must be created, and hawkers should be barred. It shouldn't become another Puzhuthivakkam MRTS stretch," said Geetha Ganesh of AGS Colony RWA. Residents demanded the removal of encroachments, including about 500 of them in the Kallukuttai Lake down the road.

Velachery MLA Assan Maulana said parking areas would be identified soon."This will be a landmark health corridor for Velachery. Final works on pavements and medians are underway. It will be inaugurated shortly," he said.