The Highways Department has invited tenders to appoint consultants for preparing a detailed project report for a four-km elevated corridor connecting Lighthouse with Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge in Chennai. The project was among the proposals announced during the Assembly session to ease congestion on the city’s arterial roads.

The Construction and Maintenance Wing said the proposed corridor would pass through Santhome High Road, Greenways Road and Durgabai Deshmukh Road. It would have two lanes for the first 1.8 km, while the remaining stretch would have four lanes. The design is expected to require land acquisition.

The corridor is intended to reduce traffic pressure on Santhome High Road, which experiences heavy congestion during peak hours. The proposed route could also be extended by another 700 m across the river to connect with the Adyar flyover, allowing vehicles to remain on an elevated section for a longer distance.

Land acquisition is estimated to cost about Rs. 10 bn, while construction expenditure is projected at between Rs. 3.5 bn and Rs. 4 bn. The project is scheduled to take two years to complete after receiving approval from the State government.

A similar proposal was made in 2022 for an elevated corridor from Lighthouse to Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge across the Adyar. That plan involved starting near Srinivasapuram and passing through Marina Loop Road, but it was later dropped. The current proposal covers an area with schools, Santhome Cathedral, residential properties, commercial buildings and various associations along Santhome High Road.

A town planner has also suggested reviving an earlier proposal for an elevated circular corridor along the Adyar bund. The plan, first proposed about 20 years ago, could extend towards the airport and connect with the Outer Ring Road while helping decongest roads in the city.