Flyover proposal on 10.5-km NH stretch sparks hope among North Chennai residents

The elevated corridor project has remained on paper since 2018 due to delays in widening the NH between Madhavaram and Nallur.

The 10.5-km stretch remains a major bottleneck as it could not be widened into a six-lane owing to encroachments and opposition from traders. File Photo

CHENNAI: The state government’s push for the construction of an elevated corridor on the 10.5-km Madhavaram-Nallur stretch of the Chennai-Kolkata NH has rekindled hopes of finding a lasting solution to the severe traffic congestion. At the recent NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay urged the union government to undertake this project along with several other key initiatives.

The stretch remains a major bottleneck as it could not be widened into a six-lane owing to encroachments and opposition from traders. In contrast, the 33.5-km section from the Nallur toll plaza to the TN-Andhra Pradesh border has already been widened to six lanes and opened to traffic.

According to residents, the 10.5-km stretch handles nearly 1.5 lakh vehicles a day. The elevated corridor project has remained on paper since 2018 due to delays in widening the NH between Madhavaram and Nallur.

S Suresh Babu, president of the Billukuppam Village Welfare Association in Gummidipoondi, said, “During medical emergencies, it takes more than 90 minutes to reach hospitals in the city due to congestion on the NH.” He added that NHAI has already prepared a detailed project report for an elevated corridor from the Chennai Bypass to the Outer Ring Road near the Nallur toll plaza.

“The TN government and NHAI should form a coordination committee to address bottlenecks in the highway widening project and the construction of the elevated corridor, which would greatly benefit residents of North Chennai,” he said.

Similarly, activists have urged the state government to work closely with NHAI to facilitate the construction of the elevated corridor.

Notably, NHAI has proposed handing over the stretch to the state. Officials said the Madhavaram-Nallur stretch has become heavily urbanised, with traffic signals placed nearly every kilometre. “Commuters frequently cross and access both sides of the highway, disrupting the movement of through traffic in either direction. As a result, traffic congestion continues to worsen,” an official said, adding that the encroachments and resistance from traders need to be addressed by the state government.