Bid invited for construction of Tambaram Eastern bypass stretch

CHENNAI: The state highways department has speeded up the work on the Tambaram Eastern Bypass which was taken up over a decade ago with bids that have been invited for construction of the 1.5 km stretch between Thiruvancheri and Madambakkam.

The six-lane road would be constructed at a cost of Rs 48.70 crore including the construction of a stormwater drain in the Thiruvancheri-Madambakkam stretch.

The highways department had proposed the construction of a six-lane 9.3 km Tambaram Eastern Bypass from Rajakilpakkam on Velachery-Tambaram road to Perungalathur to ease traffic congestion in locations like Tambaram, Chrompet and Pallavaram on the GST Road. The new link road was proposed in the second master plan of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) in 2008.

Sources in the highways department said that the work on the 3 km stretch from Selaiyur to Thiruvancheri was completed in 2013 while the work on the remaining stretches was delayed due to land acquisition and encroachments. On the Rajakilpakkam junction (starting point of the bypass near Velachery-Tambaram road), official said that a six-lane high-level bridge has to be constructed and integrated with the camp road grade separator.

Highways department works are under progress in the 2.6 km stretch at Nedunkundram and would be completed soon. “At Perungalathur end, the bypass passes through the reserve forest area for which land acquisition yet to be completed, ” sources said. The bypass road would join the GST road at Perungalathur by connecting with one arm of the ongoing road over bridge undertaken by the highways department. “The arm connecting the Tambaram Eastern bypass requires a portion of forest land. We have applied for the diversion of forest land, ” sources said.

They added that the construction of ROB in lieu of level-crossing 32 between Vandalur and Tambaram Railway Stations near Perungalathur is an important project on the GST road corridor. “The ROB project will eliminate traffic conflict not only with the railway line but also enhance the connectivity between Perungalathur and Peerkankaranai on either side of the GST road,” sources said.