Chennai-Salem Expressway Hit By Roadblock: Why The Project Is Getting Delayed?

The Chennai-Salem Expressway, an ambitious eight-lane access-controlled greenfield expressway project, has hit a roadblock due to litigation and clearance issues.

The 277.3 km long corridor, which is set to pass through key districts of Tamil Nadu including Chennai, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, and Dharmapuri, is designed to significantly reduce travel time between Chennai and Salem from the current 5 to 6 hours to just 2.5 hours.

Why The Project Getting Delayed?
On Wednesday, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari responded to a query from AIADMK member C Ve Shanmugam regarding the status of the project. Gadkari explained that while the detailed project report (DPR) for the high-speed corridor was prepared by the ministry, the project could not proceed further due to delays caused by litigation and the need for various clearances. He did not explicitly mention the involvement of the state government in these delays, according to a report in The Times of India.

Gadkari stated that the timelines for awarding and completing the project, as well as formalities for land acquisition, could only be determined after the work was sanctioned. This would depend on projected traffic, techno-economic viability, availability of funds, and prioritization of projects.

The project was initially taken up under the Bharatmala Pariyojana initiative. However, it faced litigation, leading to a Supreme Court directive that authorities could proceed with land acquisition only after securing necessary clearances and permissions from competent authorities under environmental and forest laws.

Sources from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) told the daily revealed that correspondence between NHAI and the Tamil Nadu state government ceased in 2022, awaiting state support to complete the socio-environmental impact assessment study, which includes various surveys.

The Chennai-Salem Expressway, with an estimated cost of Rs 10,000 crore, is a crucial component of the Bharatmala project. It aims to enhance connectivity and reduce travel time, benefiting both the business and tourism sectors in Tamil Nadu. Chennai, as an important center of religion and culture, stands to gain significantly from improved accessibility.

However, the project's future remains uncertain until the legal and administrative hurdles are cleared.