Chennai: Getting stuck in long traffic jams from Tindivanam to Chengalpet, and again at Kilambakkam, during festival season will soon be a thing of the past, with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) planning two expressways to cut commute by at least two hours.A key project is a double-decker elevated corridor of 23km from Mahindra City to Kilambakkam bus terminus. This will be a six-lane corridor with a toll-plaza, reducing the commute time from about 90 minutes during peak congestion to 15-20 minutes.NHAI officials said Tamil Nadu govt wanted to expand this expressway beyond Paranur as well. As it cannot be done due to the presence of hillocks, NHAI has proposed to build it till Mahindra City. “State govt wanted a double-decker metro corridor too, as many people from the IT sector use the stretch. At present, these people use the suburban Chengalpet line. So, they wanted us to plan for the metro too,” the official said, adding that the proposal has been sent to Centre.NHAI will construct the elevated expressway, and will construct the central pillars for metro rails, including piers and pier caps. “Metro will place the girders, tracks and do the electrification. The expressway will be opened first, and they can place the girders without hindering the traffic. It’s doable,” the official said.Highways minister Aadhav Arjuna announced this project in the assembly without going into the specifics. He said it takes upto three hours to enter the city from Chengalpet.Besides this, NHAI has planned another greenfield expressway from GST Road after Melmaruvathur — from Pakkam village to Paranur at the Kancheepuram-Chengalpet highway junction. This six-lane expressway, with a maximum speed of 120kmph, will pass via Uthiramerur and cross Palar river, and end near the junction.“This expressway will be about 15-km long, and help vehicles from western and southern districts to reach Chengalpet faster. Vehicles from Tiruvannamalai too will get an access at Uthiramerur,” the official said. NHAI said the expressway could further be expanded to Tindivanam and beyond if required either independently or as part of the Chennai-Trichy expressway, which was taken up by chief minister C Joseph Vijay during the Niti Aayog meet.This will also cut travel time from Tindivanam to Chengalpet to 30 minutes from one-and-half hours. Overall, vehicles from Tindivanam can touch Kilambakkam in about an hour.Besides this, NHAI has also proposed widening the 68km stretch from Chengalpet to Tindivanam into a 10-lane corridor (six lanes with two service lanes). “This project, however, is yet to get environment clearance as there are key hillock areas after Paranur. We hope to get it within this year. Once finished, this will cater to traffic demand for Chennai’s entry for the next 30 years,” the official said.
