Regular traffic to be barred from Port-Maduravoyal elevated road

The revised alignment of the 20-km long four-lane elevated road from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal has obtained the Coastal Regulation Zone clearance from the Union Environment Ministry after the State government objected to the earlier alignment, bringing the construction to a halt in 2012.

As per the new alignment, the elevated road will have only have entry and exit ramps within the Chennai Port premises and end of the corridor. In the old alignment, the elevated road was to take off from the port near the War Memorial gate and snake along the banks of Cooum river till Koyambedu from where it will travel along the NH-4 and had six entry and exit ramps. The elevated road was planned to benefit common road users, as entry ramps were to be provided at Sivananda Salai, College Road, and exit ramps at Kamarajar Salai and Spur Tank Road. Koyambedu, where the alignment shift from Cooum to NH4, was supposed to have both entry and exit ramps.

When asked whether only the vehicles bound to the port would be allowed to use the road, Chennai Port Trust chairman P Raveendran said he was not yet aware of the technicalities as it is the National Highways Authority of India that is executing the project.

NHAI Regional Officer, Chennai, Pawan Kumar said that the elevated road was meant only for the port but the public would be benefited because the existing road would be free of freight traffic. “As there was not much road width available, this road will also get choked if we allow local vehicle traffic. That will defeat the very purpose providing a smooth flow of traffic to the port. But the elevated road is adding to the capacity,” he told DT Next.

Sources said the decision to restrict access to the elevated road only to freight movement was taken at the meeting attended by all the stakeholders, including Chief Secretary K Shanmugam, on August 2, 2019.

“There will be no ramp other than the ones at port and Maduravoyal,” sources said, adding that it would start from the port premises and end beyond Maduravoyal grade separator. “The vehicles will go in the second level over the Maduravoyal grade separator on Chennai bypass while the vehicles from bypass will have access to the elevated road through the ramp, “ sources added.

The project cost has shot up to Rs 3,087 crore from the original estimated cost of Rs 1,345 crore prepared in 2010. NHAI will bear the entire cost of construction while the Chennai Port Trust and the State government will equally share the cost of land acquisition and resettlement.