The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has floated tenders for the construction of a six-lane elevated corridor between Maduravoyal and Poonamallee, marking the first phase of the proposed 23.2-km elevated highway to Sriperumbudur along the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway.

The 8.14-km stretch, to be executed under the hybrid annuity model at an estimated cost of Rs 12.41 billion, will run from the Maduravoyal cloverleaf interchange to the Chennai Outer Ring Road near Poonamallee. The project includes junction improvements at NH-48.

Officials said the corridor will feature a two-level cloverleaf interchange at Maduravoyal, the first such structure in the country, providing seamless connectivity for port-bound traffic from the under-construction Port–Maduravoyal elevated expressway. The elevated road will also have four entry and exit points at Maduravoyal, Poonamallee, Irungattukottai, and Sriperumbudur.

To accommodate Chennai Metro Rail’s (CMRL) proposed 52.94-km line from Poonamallee to Parandur airport, the second phase of the highway project—from Poonamallee to Sriperumbudur—has been deferred. A double-decker alignment is being planned, with the highway on the first level and the Metro line on the second.

Traffic studies indicate that the corridor will ease congestion on one of the city’s busiest routes, which currently carries nearly one lakh vehicles daily in each direction.

News source: DT Next