Officials said the remaining work could be completed within two months after the cables are moved. Progress had initially been steady, but rising bitumen prices and delays in obtaining support from the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation for shifting the cables have slowed construction.
The section between Anna University and Madhya Kailash has been completed. The department has sought permission from the National Green Tribunal to cut trees in Guindy National Park for widening the section between the Cancer Institute and the park. Work near Gandhi Mandapam is also under way.
Temporary arches installed for Gandhi Jayanthi and the death anniversary of Kamarajar on October 2 remain in place. Officials said the structures would be removed in the coming days, allowing work to resume. Once the cable shifting is complete, the department plans to align the median and install lighting along the road.
A Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation official said the shifting of the Ring Main Unit, or RMU, was scheduled for Saturday and would take one to two days. Residents have raised concerns about the slow progress on the arterial road, which serves Anna University, Guindy National Park, Gandhi Mandapam, the Kamarajar Memorial and Lok Bhavan.
The road carries heavy traffic during peak hours, with vehicles from Rajiv Gandhi Salai often backing up between the Indian Institute of Technology Madras campus and the Gandhi Mandapam Road intersection. Residents have urged the authorities to complete the project before the monsoon intensifies, citing concerns about prolonged congestion and disruption.