CMRL eyes expansion to south, north

CHENNAI: In a move to expand the Metro Rail network deeper into the southern suburbs and North Chennai, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) will prepare detailed project reports for new corridors between Kilambakkam and Chengalpattu, and Assisi Nagar (Madhavaram) and Wimco Nagar.

As per the proposal, for which the CMRL has invited consultants to prepare DPRs, the Phase I Wimco Nagar-Airport corridor will be extended from Chennai Airport to Kilambakkam and further up to Chengalpattu.

The proposed 27-km Kilambakkam-Chengalpattu extension builds on the Chennai Airport-Kilambakkam Metro Rail project, for which CMRL submitted a DPR to the State government in February 2025.

The 15.46-km Airport-Kilambakkam elevated corridor, estimated to cost Rs 9,335 crore, including an elevated road, will have 13 stations and connect the airport with the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) at Kilambakkam. The proposal is currently under review by the Union government, following which construction is expected to begin.

The proposed 11-km Assisi Nagar (Madhavaram) to Wimco Nagar corridor will extend Phase II Corridor 5, which runs from Madhavaram to Sholinganallur, and connect it with the existing Phase I network at Wimco Nagar. Both proposed corridors will be fully elevated, CMRL sources said.

The Kilambakkam-Chengalpattu extension is also proposed as a double-decker structure, with the Metro corridor running above an elevated road along the median on GST Road. A senior National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) official said CMRL's consultant would prepare the DPR for the combined elevated road and Metro Rail project, which would significantly reduce project costs and minimise land acquisition.

According to the official, the double-decker structure is expected to terminate before the Singaperumal Koil junction, while the final Metro alignment beyond that point is yet to be decided. The elevated road will end at Mahindra City, after which GST Road towards Chengalpattu will be widened into a six-lane carriageway with service roads, as there are fewer built-up areas along that stretch.