CS to chair meet on Port-Maduravoyal expressway today

Chennai

NHAI sources said that the state government is very keen to revive the elevated road project. “Chief Secretary will be chairing a meeting on the project comprising of all the stakeholders - NHAI, Chennai Port Trust, Indian Navy and state departments including PWD. Based on the outcome of the meeting, the government will decide when to sign the MoU for the execution of the project, “ sources added.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been insisting on the signing of an MoU by all the stakeholders so as to prevent any future hurdle like the PWD issuing stop-work notice in 2012 halting construction works on the Cooum river. Most of the 19.2 km long elevated road alignment runs along the Cooum river.

The Rs 1800 crore elevated road project work which was launched in 2011 during the previous DMK regime was halted by the successive AIADMK government citing obstruction to the flow of water in the Cooum river in 2012. The present DMK government is keen to revive the project and had even sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to restart work at the earliest.

NHAI sources added that after the union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari rejected the initial design and suggested a double-decker elevated road with an upper deck exclusively cater to the port traffic and lower deck for the city traffic, the designing and cost estimation works are underway. Sources said that the lower level elevated road would have 13 entry and exit ramps but it was yet to be finalised since it would require land acquisition.

The original elevated road proposal in 2011 had entry and exit ramps at Koyambedu, Spurtank road and Swami Sivananda Salai apart from the Port and at Maduravoyal.