Chennai Corporation plans Rs 500-crore infrastructure upgrade for north Chennai, resettlement sites

CHENNAI: Prioritising civic infrastructure for residents in northern Chennai and resettlement areas in the south, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to spend Rs 500 crore this financial year under the Chief Minister's Integrated Urban Development Mission (CMIUDM).

The funds will target urban development projects, including upgraded roads, pedestrian plazas, and smart parking facilities in northern belts like Ennore, Tiruvottiyur, Perambur, and Vyasarpadi, as well as southern resettlement colonies including Kannagi Nagar and Ezhil Nagar.

Speaking to DT Next, GCC Commissioner GS Sameeran said, "GCC is focusing on equitable growth across Chennai, especially in economically and socially underdeveloped areas such as Ennore, Manali, Tiruvottiyur, Perambur, Vyasarpadi, Kannagi Nagar, and Ezhil Nagar, where infrastructure and roads urgently need improvement."

He added, "This year, the civic body will spend Rs 350 crore on proposed new projects, with the remaining Rs 150 crore to be spent next year. Allocations will also increase in the coming financial year."

Infrastructure work previously executed under Singara Chennai 2.0, including modernising parks and playfields, upgrading roads and footpaths, and constructing school buildings, will now be carried out under the CMIUDM across the Corporation limits.

The Tamil Nadu Budget 2026-2027 allocated Rs 29,863 crore for the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department; however, no initial funds were set aside for new flyovers in Chennai.

In 2025-2026 budget, the DMK government had announced a 3-km flyover connecting Velachery Bypass Road to Guru Nanak College Junction for Rs 310 crore to ease congestion in Velachery and Guindy. The Corporation has since put the project on partial hold due to financial constraints.

Meanwhile, GCC sources revealed that a proposal was submitted to higher officials to construct another flyover from the Sona Bapu statue on Nelson Manickam Road to Tank Bund Road near Loyola College to alleviate traffic bottlenecks.

Addressing the shift in allocation of the amount, Commissioner Sameeran explained, "Instead of spending over Rs 300 crore on a single flyover, that amount can be drawn from the planned Rs 500 crore budget and spent across multiple areas. This allows the civic body to drive holistic development across the entire city."

Under the new budget, the MAWS Department is emphasising people-friendly streets by creating modern urban thoroughfares with improved connectivity, dedicated footpaths, cycling tracks, streamlined cross-streets, and redesigned junctions. The Chennai Corporation also plans to set up 20 smart parking facilities citywide and infrastructure upgradation in Ambattur and Guindy industrial estates.

"The Anna Nagar facility served as the pilot project for smart parking. Similar proposals are now under way for Adyar, Tiruvottiyur, and Thyagaraya Nagar," Sameeran confirmed.