Chennai-Tiruchy To Get New Expressway To Ease Traffic

The National Highways Authority of India (NI) has decided construct a Greenfield expressway from Singaperumal Koil, 17 km from Tambaram, to Tiruchy or beyond. This new highway aims to ease traffic congestion on the Chennai-Tiruchy route,

The proposed expressway will start at the under-construction Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR) on GST Road and extend up to Tiruchy or another significant junction, according to a report in The New Indian Express.

Project Feasibility and Planning

Official sources from NHAI's regional office in Chennai informed the daily that several meetings have been held with consultants to evaluate the project's feasibility and other aspects. "A Detailed Project Report (DPR) is currently being finalised. While the starting point of the Greenfield expressway has been determined, the terminating point is yet to be decided. It could either be Tiruchy or beyond," said an official.

The new expressway is being planned considering the increased vehicle congestion on GST Road, future vehicle population, and transportation of commercial and other goods. As per official data, about 1.6 lakh vehicles pass through GST Road every day.

Reducing Congestion

Efforts are underway to reduce congestion on the Chennai-Tiruchy NH before commencing any further development works," the official added. Overbridges are being built at seven spots from Tambaram to Chengalpattu to prevent pedestrians from entering the carriageway.

"We have already planned to build four vehicular underpasses between Chengalpattu and Attur to provide U-turns for vehicles, aiming to eliminate accident black spots," the official said.

Future Developments

The proposed elevated corridor from Perungalathur to Chengalpattu has not been abandoned and is still under consideration, taking into account factors such as vehicle volume and utility relocation. With this, plans to widen the four-lane GST Road into eight lanes from Chengalpattu to Tiruchy have been shelved, explained another official.

Once operational, commercial goods from Thoothukudi, Madurai, and other southern districts can be ferried to Ennore and Kattupalli ports through Chennai Peripheral Ring Road without entering Chennai city.

Chennai Peripheral Ring Road

The CPRR starts from Ennore port and ends at Poonjeri near Mahabalipuram on ECR, passing through Thatchur, Tiruvallur bypass, Sriperumbudur, and SP Koil. The 132.87 km six-lane access-controlled road is being built at a cost of Rs 15,626 crore.

This new infrastructure project aims to significantly improve traffic flow and reduce congestion in key areas while facilitating smoother transportation of goods across regions.