Anna Salai

All you want to know about Anna Salai

Anna Salai

Map of Chennai showing Anna Salai

Anna Salai, formerly known as Mount Road, is the most important arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George connecting with St. Thomas Mount in Saidapet. [1].

This 15 km stretch of road running diagonal across the city has become the hub of business for the city. It has been developing in a large pace in the past century. The British developed this road during the colonial era, and they named it as Mount Road, after Little Mount, till which the road extends. Later on, the road was renamed as Anna Salai, after Arignar Anna, the ex - Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The word 'Salai' in Tamil translates to road in English.

Today, this road has turned out to be the most important arterial road in Chennai. Alongside Anna Salai are some of the most important corporate houses, Government offices and other commercial establishments. The world's largest company Citigroup has its BPO Operations here at Spencer's. It has very important landmarks for Chennai such as the Spencer plaza, LIC building, British Council Library, The Hindu newspaper office, and Thousand Lights Mosque. The adjoining areas of Chintadripet, Pudupet, Egmore, Royapet, Chepauk, Thousand Lights are all good old business/residential places, and these areas are in existence for more than 200 years.

The Marmalong Bridge on the Mount Road in Saidapet (Sadarpet) across the Adyar River originally built in 1700s as causeway to the Little Mount Church on the south bank of the drain was rebuilt in late 1950s still has the original marble plaque with inscriptions in Persian and Latin. This plaque can be seen on the left side on the entrance of the bus bay on the end of the parapet wall of the bridge.

Anna Salai is maintained by the National Highways Authority of India. This is the only road in Chennai where lane system of traffic is followed.

There is a milestone half buried next to the pedestrian subway opposite Anna statue in front of the Raheja Complex on the Mount Road stating Fort 1 mile north and Mount 9 miles south.