Bids open for Port - Maduravoyal elevated corridor

CHENNAI: The much-awaited Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor is finally showing definite signs of progress, with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) opening bids to construct the double-tier, four-lane expressway on Thursday.

For the bids that were floated in four packages, five firms vied for package-1 while six firms submitted their bids for package-2. Package-3 and package-4 have received six and seven bids, respectively.

It may be noted that the bids were first floated in July 2022, but the process was delayed to repeated postponements.

The project was earlier estimated to cost Rs 3,204 crore, which was later revised to Rs 5,721.33 crore as the elevated corridor was redesigned to have two levels. The total length of the corridor is 20.565 km. A section of the corridor (between Chennai Port and Koyambedu) will be double-tier so that heavy vehicles proceeding towards and from the Chennai port could use the upper corridor. There will be no ramps on the upper corridor so that it would be exclusive for the heavy vehicles.

Earlier, entry and exit ramps were proposed only at the port and the end of the corridor. Now, as many as 13 ramps will provide entry and exit to the lower deck of the corridor. The corridor will pass through Chintadripet, Egmore, Aminjikarai, Nungambakkam, and Arumbakkam.

On Sunday, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal had reviewed the progress of the project at a meeting in Chennai. He had said that the elevated corridor would be a boon for the Chennai port which is struggling to enhance its productivity due to severe congestion.

On the same day, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari shared artist’s impression of the proposed double-decker expressway, and said it would reduce waiting and travel times for vehicles bound to the port.