CHENNAI: The 21-km Port-Maduravoyal double-decker elevated corridor will be toll-free for local traffic on the lower deck, while toll will be collected only from freight vehicles using the upper deck to access Chennai Port. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to complete the project by November 2027.
According to Virender Sambal, regional officer of NHAI in Chennai, the first deck of the flyover will be reserved for local traffic and will remain toll-free. “The second level (upper deck), meant for traffic bound for the port, will be tolled. Of the total 21 km, nearly 15.5 km runs along the Cooum River. The upper tier will function as a dedicated freight corridor carrying heavy vehicles and container trucks directly to Gate 10 of the port without interfering with city traffic,” he said. Sambal added that around 9,500 precast concrete bridge segments will be manufactured for the project at a casting yard in Chembarambakkam.
“So far, about 800 precast segments have been produced. Once the pier foundations are completed, these segments will be assembled using launching girders,” he said. To speed up construction, work is currently progressing for 11 hours a day - five hours during the daytime and six hours at night - with support from the traffic police. NHAI has requested the state government and the city police commissioner to allow work to continue for up to 16 hours a day, Sambal added.
Of the 21-km corridor, the stretch from Maduravoyal to Koyambedu (7 km) will have a single deck, while the remaining 14 km up to the port will have a double-decker structure. Vehicles entering the flyover at Maduravoyal for local travel will exit near Napier Bridge, while the upper deck will extend up to Chennai Port as a six-lane highway. Entry and exit ramps are planned at Sivananda Salai, College Road, Spur Tank Road and Koyambedu.
The four-lane lower deck will have a width of 26 metres, while the upper deck will be 23 metres wide. The corridor will pass above 16 existing flyovers and two road overbridges. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 3,570 crore.
Originally launched in 2010 but terminated in 2016, the project was revived in 2023 following requests from the state government and the Chennai Port Authority.
NHAI officials said the structural integrity of 114 pillars erected in 2011 was examined in six phases. Of these, 12 pillars were found unsuitable and will be demolished.