A major road project has been launched along the East Coast Road (ECR). A four-lane elevated corridor, covering 14.2 km from Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi, will soon be constructed to ease heavy traffic congestion. The project cost is estimated at ?2,100 crore.
The corridor will start near a major landmark in Thiruvanmiyur and extend up to Uthandi. It will be built along the road median with support pillars and will also include pedestrian pathways. The structure will have a width ranging from 16 to 20 metres and a clearance height of 5.5 metres for vehicles travelling below.
International construction tenders were issued on August 26. Officials confirmed that the project will follow a hybrid financing model combining both engineering-procurement-construction and toll-based operation methods.
The current travel time between Thiruvanmiyur and Uthandi during peak hours is about one hour. Once the elevated corridor is completed, motorists heading towards Mamallapuram, Puducherry, and Cuddalore are expected to cover the same stretch in just 15 to 20 minutes.
The project will ease pressure across 13 heavily congested junctions, including Neelankarai, Kottivakkam, Vettuvankeni, Injambakkam, Akkarai, and Panaiyur. Exit ramps are planned at several key points along the route. The corridor will operate as a toll road under a closed-gate system, with charges based on the distance travelled.
In addition to reducing congestion on ECR, the corridor will serve as an alternative route for commuters travelling from Adyar to Kelambakkam, Thiruporur, and Mambakkam, reducing traffic on the busy parallel route. The section currently handles nearly 70,000 passenger car units per day, and officials expect the new elevated stretch to significantly streamline movement for both local and long-distance travellers.
Alongside this project, the six-laning of a 9.2 km stretch between Thiruvanmiyur and Akkarai is nearing completion, with about 90 per cent of the work finished. At present, the state’s longest operational elevated corridor is 7.3 km in length. Upon completion, the Thiruvanmiyur–Uthandi corridor will become the longest elevated roadway of its kind in the state.
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