Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that the greenfield double-decker elevated highway between Chennai port and Maduravoyal in Tamil Nadu would reduce the travel time for vehicles bound for the port by an hour.
“The completion of this project is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in Chennai by segregating local traffic movement onto one tier of the Elevated highway. Additionally, it will double the handling capacity of the port, reduce waiting times at the port, and decrease travel time for vehicles bound for the port by an hour”, he added.
“The project is specifically designed to manage the expected increase in port-bound traffic, which is predicted to double by 2040 from current levels. In light of the dynamic leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, our unwavering commitment lies in expediting and optimizing the mobility sector by means of unparalleled infrastructural advancements”, Gadkari tweeted.
The 20.6-kilometre four-lane double-decker elevated expressway, being built at a cost of ₹5,800 crore, is likely to be completed by December 2024, the minister had said earlier.
While sharing the graphical images of the project in a series of tweets, the minister said, “Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana initiative, a new Greenfield Corridor Project is underway in the state of Tamil Nadu. This involves the development of a Double Tier 4-lane Elevated Corridor from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal”.
In October 2022, Gadkari had said that the project would be developed in four sections which would start from inside the Chennai Port and end after the Maduravoyal interchange.
The expressway once completed, would serve as a dedicated freight corridor for Chennai bound port traffic and increase the handling capacity of the city’s port by 48% and subsequently reduce the waiting time at the port by six hours, the minister had said.
The first level of the double-decker corridor would be for light vehicles between Koyambedu and Chennai port, while the second level would be designed specifically for heavy vehicles between Chennai port and Maduravoyal.
