Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway Revived Under PM Gati Shakti Scheme, NHAI To Commence Construction Of 20.6 km Corridor

In a significant boost to Chennai's infrastructure, all decks have been cleared to revive the stalled Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway.

The 20.6 km long double-decker elevated corridor will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.5,770 crore.

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan announced on Friday (Mar 18) that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed between the NHAI, state government, Navy and Chennai Port soon for implementing the Maduravoyal-Chennai Port Elevated Corridor project.

"The Government is committed to revive and implement the Maduravoyal - Chennai Port Elevated Corridor Project, which is vital to the commercial development of Chennai. A 20.6 km long double-decker elevated corridor at an estimated cost of Rs.5,770 crore will be constructed." Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said during the budget speech he delivered yesterday on the floor of the Tamil Nadu assembly.

"A detailed project report is under preparation by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). To implement this project, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NHAI, Government of Tamil Nadu, the Navy and Chennai Port will be signed soon." the finance minister added.

Earlier this week, Sunil Paliwal, Chairman, Chennai Port Authority, confirmed that the Chennai Port to Maduravoyal elevated corridor is being taken up under the PM Gati Shakti program.

Addressing an event organised by the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday (Mar 16), Paliwal said the two-tier elevated corridor designed to have two lanes in each tier was executed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The Chennai Port to Maduravoyal elevated corridor will be connected to the under construction Bangalore-Chennai Expressway by a 22-km long elevated road that will run along Poonamallee High Road from Sriperumbudur.

Maduravoyal-Port elevated expressway corridor project

The Maduravoyal-Port elevated expressway corridor project was conceptualised and launched in September 2010 by the DMK Government under late CM Karunanidhi. But it was arbitrarily halted in 2011 by the Jayalalithaa government, claiming that the construction of pillars on the Cooum river would adversely impact the environment and cause flooding during the monsoon. The initially planned length of the project, now stalled for the last five years, was 18.3 km. About 20% of the construction has been completed.

A fresh DPR was also prepared by NHAI, the executing agency for the project.

NHAI is gearing to resume work on the expressway soon and has already confirmed that completed pillars would be put into use after inspecting their structural strength and safety.

As per the report, twin pillars constructed in Chetpet on a span of about 5 km along Koyambedu, Cooum River banks would be used.

Two Central government arms - Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) and Indian Navy - have agreed to enter into a barter deal for land exchange.

Under the agreement, Indian Navy will provide the port with 1.09 lakh square feet of land in exchange for an equivalent area closer to the port’s boundary near INS Adyar.

A total of 64 houses will be constructed in the parcel that is being provided by the Chennai Port Trust. Following identification of land for construction of houses for the Navy, the project gained further momentum.

In-principle, approval from the Shipping Ministry was also obtained based on a no-objection certification given by the Indian Navy in Chennai. The Indian Navy also received approval from the Defence Ministry.

The State government has recently taken steps to remove 1,500 of the 1,700 encroachments that were along the alignment of the project.