Chennai gets Rs. 3,500-cr 19-km elevated corridor

In a major boost to the Maduravoyal-Chennai Port, the government has decided to build 19-km long six lanes elevated corridor project up to the Napier Bridge at an investment of Rs. 3,500 crore. The project will be developed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority ensuring that vehicles can enter Chennai Port directly as the project will have 10 exit-and-entry ramps. The exit ramps are proposed at Kamarajar Salai, Spur Tank Road, and Koyambedu (before and after the grade separator) and entry ramps proposed at Sivananda Salai, College Road and Koyambedu (before and after grade separator). The number of piers along the river Cooum will be 685 and it won‘t have any impact on the river. It is learnt that the Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Madras has suggested that development of the Cooum river has to be carried out immediately after the completion of work as there won‘t be hindrance to the water movement. In order to reduce congestion in the Koyambedu-to-Maduravoyal stretch due to mofussil buses, additional exit-and-entry ramps are suggested after the proposed grade separator for which land has to be acquired along with the main corridor at the joining point with Poonamalee Road and once it becomes operational, will cut down the containers’ timing to 20 to 30 minutes to reach Maduravoyal as against three hours currently.