CHENNAI: Work on the 20.6km double-decker elevated highway between Chennai Port and Maduravoyal, built at a cost of Rs 5,855 crore, is likely to start at the end of this financial year, according to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) sources.
The tenders for the construction of a two-tier, four-lane elevated corridor from port to Maduravoyal under the Prime Minister Gati Shakti programme were called on July, but the bids could not be finalised as the project is awaiting coastal regulation zone clearance and approval from Indian Railways.
A NHAI official told TNIE that Indian Railways have to approve the drawing as the elevated highway is crossing railway lines in two locations. “We are pursuing it and it may happen shortly. We are extending the bids for these two issues,” the official said. He also said by the end of this financial year, the agreement will be signed with the shortlisted bidder.
The elevated corridor will be constructed in four packages. Of the 20.6 km, 12 km corridor will be a double-decked corridor. The project, which was inaugurated by two prime ministers, was initially suspended in 2012 due to a row between the Water Resources Department (WRD) and NHAI during the regime of then CM J Jayalalitha. It was in 2015, Nitin Gadkari, then Union Shipping Minister decided to break the deadlock and was working on an out-of-court settlement since 2016.
After an initial detailed project report was submitted in 2019 to revive the project, Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and MSME, asked Larsen and Toubro to redesign the project as a double-decker elevated corridor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation in May 2022. The elevated corridor will have the capacity to handle 40,000 passenger car units a day. This when converted into trailers (six car units are equal to one trailer) will be 6,500 units a day.