Chennai's ambitious elevated corridor project finally takes off

The ambitious elevated corridor between Chennai Port and Maduravoyal is set to begin soon. The project is pending two clearances, and once they are acquired, work on the ground is expected to begin in May-June of this year, according to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) authorities. This 20.6-km four-lane double-decker elevated motorway will be built under Prime Minister Gati Shakti's plans at a cost of Rs 58.55 billion. Despite the fact that the bids were requested in July 2022, NHAI was unable to finalise one and finish the tender process due to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance and general area drawing clearance from the Southern Railway for two bridges to be erected over the railway line at Chintadripet and at Nungambakkam are pending. Officials at the NHAI are hopeful that they will receive permissions shortly and that the bids will be finalised by the end of this fiscal year. Nitin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, stated earlier in a series of tweets that the project, which will be constructed in four stages and would begin inside the Chennai Port and terminate after the Maduravoyal junction, will be completed by December 2024. The corridor would operate as a dedicated freight lane for Chennai-bound port traffic, increasing the handling capacity of Chennai Port by 48 percent and cutting waiting time at the port by around six hours, according to the minister. Also Read Second 8-Coach Trainset Arrives on Metro Line 3 Centre approves over Rs 174 crore for NH Project in Odisha