Contract for Port-Maduravoyal project will be awarded by March '23

CHENNAI: The work contract of the Chennai Port - Maduravoyal two tier elevated road project would be awarded by March next year, said the union minister of Road Transport and Highways in the Parliament.

Replying to the question raised by DMK MP TR Baalu, union minister said that the bids for the project have been invited and it is targeted for award by March 2023. The work will commence after the award.

The elevated road project is included under PM Gati-Shakti National Master Plan, Gadkari said, adding that the project is targeted to be completed in 30 months from the commencement.

The total length of the two tier elevated highway is 20.565 km and it has been divided into four packages with a total estimated cost of Rs.5611.70 crore, the minister added.

The National Highways Authority of India had invited bids for the construction of the two-tier 4-lane elevated corridor in July this year. The elevated road would be a double-tier between Port and Koyambedu for the benefit of the non-port vehicles with seven entries and exits.

From the Port to Maduravoyal side, the local vehicles could enter through Sivananda Salai, West Cooum river road, Binny Road, College Road and exit at Anna Arch Road and Koyambedu. From Maduravoyal to the Port side, the vehicles could enter at Koyambedu, Anna Arch Road and Spur Tank Road and exit at Spur Tank Road, South Cooum Road, Gandhi Irwin Salai and Kamarajar Salai.

The proposed elevated road project will also have three cable-stayed bridges at Napier Bridge, over Koyambedu bridge and Chennai Metro Rail and over Maduravoyal Grade Separator.

The elevated road work which was originally started in 2010 came to a standstill in 2012 when the AIADMK government suspended work citing hindrance to the flow of water on Cooum. The project was revived a few years back for the exclusive usage of the Chennai Port. After the opposition to dropping the entry and exit ramps for non-Port vehicles, NHAI came out with a new proposal for a double-tier elevated road with an upper tier exclusive for the Port vehicles while the lower tier for the local vehicles.