CHENNAI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is yet to open bids for the much-awaited Maduravoyal-Chennai Outer Ring Road (ORR) elevated corridor, more than a year after floating the Rs 1,228.87 crore tender, with the bid opening date having been revised 15 times. The bids are now scheduled to be opened on October 16, 2026.
NHAI floated the tender on August 18, 2025, for the construction of the six-lane, 8.14 km elevated corridor from Maduravoyal Junction to the Chennai ORR on NH 48 under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
An NHAI official said the repeated postponements were mainly due to the wait for financial sanction for the project.
The Maduravoyal-ORR elevated road is the first phase of the proposed 23.2 km elevated highway to Sriperumbudur, planned as part of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway. The second phase, from the ORR to Sriperumbudur, has been deferred to accommodate Chennai Metro Rail Ltd’s (CMRL) proposed 27.9 km Poonamallee-Sunguvarchatram line.
The eventual structure will be a double-decker elevated corridor, with the road at the first level and the Metro line above it.
Traffic studies have highlighted the heavy traffic load on the corridor. The Chennai-Poonamallee direction carries 97,304 vehicles a day near Maduravoyal and 69,536 near Poonamallee. In the reverse direction, the corresponding figures are 94,747 and 62,655 vehicles.
The elevated road will also facilitate seamless movement of portbound vehicles from the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated road, which is under construction. At Maduravoyal, the two corridors will be connected through a second-level cloverleaf interchange over the Chennai Bypass, described as the first of its kind in the country.
NHAI issued corrigenda in December 2025 and June 2026. The latter included a revised technical schedule with several changes to the design and road infrastructure provisions.
Under the revised schedule, the existing right of way across the project stretch is specified as 54 metres, while the proposed right of way at both ends has been increased from 65 metres to 68 metres. The number of stretches subject to an 80 kmph speed restriction has been reduced from four to two. At the Chennai ORR-Tambaram junction, the cross-road width has been increased from 7 metres to 7.5 metres.
The project will also include two emergency stopping bays on the elevated section, allowing broken-down vehicles to be moved off the carriageway. Improvements to existing service roads and junctions below the elevated corridor are also included in the scope.
An Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) will provide video surveillance, traffic monitoring cameras, incident detection, variable message signs, a communication network, and a common command-and-control centre. The system will facilitate centralised monitoring and management of accidents, emergencies, and other traffic incidents. The contractor will operate and maintain the ATMS throughout the contract period.
Two toll plazas are proposed on the elevated corridor, one near Maduravoyal and the other near the Chennai ORR. They will have hybrid electronic toll collection systems and CCTV facilities, along with highway patrol vehicles, ambulances, and medical aid posts.
Round-the-clock emergency medical services will also be provided. An ambulance equipped with GPS and GSM-based tracking and integrated with the ATMS incident detection system will have to be maintained throughout the contract period.