Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 10 (ANI): The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that the construction of the new 4-lane, double-tier elevated corridor from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal, being built at a cost of over 3,500 crore, is progressing in full swing and is scheduled for completion by November 2027.

Originally initiated in 2010 but terminated in 2016, this vital infrastructure project was restarted in 2023 following requests from the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Chennai Port Trust, guided by a technical committee. The 20.9 km-long corridor is uniquely designed with two levels to efficiently segregate different types of traffic.

The lower tier is dedicated exclusively to local city traffic and features 13 ramps at key locations to ease congestion on surface roads along the Cooum River between the beach and Koyambedu. These strategic ramps will significantly improve mobility, with key entry and exit points located at Sivananda Salai, College Road, Spur Tank Road, and Koyambedu.

Meanwhile, the upper tier serves as a dedicated freight corridor meant to carry heavy port-bound vehicles and containers directly to Chennai Port Gate-10 without city interference. The project also embraces state-of-the-art cable-stayed bridges at major junctions, such as Napier Bridge. Upon completion, the corridor will provide seamless 24/7 highway connectivity, significantly boosting the Chennai Port's cargo handling capacity from the current 53 million tonnes (MTPA) to an estimated 200 MTPA by 2047.

Addressing the project's development, Virender Sambyal, Regional Officer, NHAI - Chennai, explained the reasons behind the project's increased estimated cost. He noted that while the bridge was initially planned as a single-tier structure, it was comprehensively upgraded to a double-tier corridor following requests from the State Government. He added that the integration of 13 new ramps for city traffic, crucial design modifications, and the addition of advanced cable-stayed bridges were the primary factors contributing to the revised project cost.

Speaking on the advanced construction methodology, Shivam Sharma, Project Director, NHAI - PIU, Chennai, highlighted that massive casting yards--including the 80-acre facility at EVP Film City--are being utilised to manufacture more than 500 pre-cast concrete bridge segments per month in advance. Once the foundational pier structures are erected, these pre-cast segments will be assembled using Launching Girders without directly working in the riverbed. This strategic approach ensures that construction activities will continue seamlessly 365 days a year, entirely avoiding any weather-related interruptions during the monsoon season. He also apprised that the launching operations are expected to commence in 15 days.

Virender Sambyal further stated that to expedite the massive infrastructure work, construction activities at the site are currently progressing for 11 hours a day (5 hours during the daytime and 6 hours at night) with the support of the traffic police. A request has been made to the state authorities and the Police Commissioner to extend these working shifts to 16 hours a day.

Highlighting other major regional developments, officials noted that works on the remaining packages of the 262 km long Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway in Tamil Nadu are in advanced stages of execution. Over the past decade, the NHAI has invested more than 60,000 crore to enhance highway infrastructure across Tamil Nadu. Currently, projects worth 40,000 crore are under active implementation in the state, and Detailed Project Reports for future projects worth 1 lakh crore have already been prepared to drive economic growth in the coming years. (ANI)