CHENNAI: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone, the four-laning of the 46-km Marakkanam-Puducherry stretch of the ECR commenced on Sunday. The project, to be taken up at a cost of `2,157 crore, includes a 35-km bypass for Puducherry and will help decongest villages along the Marakkanam-Puducherry section.
The widening of the 46-km Marakkanam-Puducherry stretch marks the final leg of the four-laning of the 320-km Chennai-Nagapattinam East Coast Road (ECR) corridor and is expected to ease congestion on the Tambaram-Tiruchy and Vikravandi-Thanjavur National Highways. The completion of 320-km four laning of ECR will bring down the travel time by up to two hours.
As of February 25, of the total 320 km, 235 km has already been widened to four lanes. This includes the Chennai (Koyambedu)-Mamallapuram (61 km), Puducherry-Poondiyankuppam (38 km), and Poondiyankuppam-Sattanathapuram (57 km) stretches. Additionally, widening of the Mamallapuram-Mugaiyur-Marakkanam (62 km) section, taken up in 2022, has achieved 58% progress (35.97 km completed).
The Sattanathapuram-Nagapattinam (56 km) stretch has been widened for 44 km, registering 78% progress. Except for the Marakkanam-Puducherry section, the entire Chennai-Nagapattinam corridor is expected to be four-laned by August 2026, according to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official documents.
The Marakkanam-Puducherry alignment will be partially greenfield. The 46-km stretch will have 38 vehicular underpasses, including light vehicle and pedestrian underpasses, ensuring that vehicles from either side do not directly enter the main carriageway while crossing. The project also includes the construction of seven major bridges, 12 minor bridges, 20 bus shelters, and 123 box culverts. Service or slip roads will be provided for 36 km, and one major interchange will be developed.
The section will connect with the Tambaram-Tindivanam NH, Tindivanam-Puducherry NH, Mailam-Puducherry State Highways and the Vikravandi-Thanjavur NH. The project is scheduled for completion within 24 months from February 6. It will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model under which 40% of the project cost will be paid by NHAI to the contractor during the construction period, while the remaining 60% will be borne by the concessionaire and recovered through user fees. Toll plazas will be set up at five locations, according to documents.
A senior NHAI official said the development of the Chennai-Nagapattinam ECR corridor would reduce congestion on the Tambaram-Tiruchy section. The DPR for widening the Nagapattinam-Thoothukudi stretch is also under finalisation, the official added. The pending works in the Sattanathapuram-Nagapattinam section include the construction of major bridges, road overbridges at railway junctions, and related infrastructure. “The works will be completed soon,” the official said.
