CHENNAI: Nearly 11 years after the initial notification for land acquisition, the long-pending project of four-laning the 6.8-km Pallavaram-Kundrathur highway has gained momentum. The state highways department has begun the land acquisition process to widen the existing two-lane road to four lanes after the Tambaram corporation completed the UGD works. A notification to this effect was issued recently.
According to official sources, local residents have long demanded the upgrade, as it currently takes around 35 to 40 minutes to travel 4 km between Anakaputhur and Pallavaram. This road also serves as a key link to the Kodambakkam highway at Kundrathur, which extends up to Sriperumbudur.
The Pallavaram - Kundrathur - Poonamallee highway that runs for 13 km links GST Road with Chennai Bengaluru highway via Kodambakkam Road, and also provides connectivity to Chennai bypass, Outer Ring Road and other interior areas. Hence, the 6.8-km highway stretch frequently witnesses traffic snarls for every 1.5 km from GST till Kundrathur junction at Kodambakkam Road. The section handles 5,500 passenger car units a day.
Official sources said the current two-lane road is 9 to 10 metres wide.
“The road is planned to be widened to a width of 24 metres. Land acquisition has begun across six revenue villages — Pallavaram, Pammal, Anakaputhur, Thirunageswaram, Manjeri, and Kundrathur B. Construction work will commence once the land acquisition is completed,” an official said.
Residents said this section experiences heavy traffic throughout the day, with peak hours causing traffic pile up extending up to 3-4 km. “The government claims it is facing difficulties in acquiring land. Many of the roadside shops are encroached upon by people with political affiliations. If the highways department had started work back in 2014, the project would have been completed by now,” said S Devan, a resident of Anakaputhur.
Despite the growing number of vehicles and increasing residential habitations, the area has seen no major infrastructure upgrade. “This road not only connects us to Kundrathur but also offers access to the Bengaluru bypass via Kodambakkam Road which was widened into a four-lane road two years ago. The worst affected are residents of Anakaputhur and those who travel in government buses. Buses travelling from Pallavaram to Kundrathur move at a sluggish pace, often taking around 70 to 80 minutes to complete the end-to-end journey,” S Joyal of Pammal said.