Double-decker road-metro line in offing on Poonamallee-Sriperumbudur section of NH4

CHENNAI: A double-decker elevated road-cum-metro line is likely to come up on the Poonamallee-Sriperumbudur section of Chennai-Bengaluru Highway, with the metro trains plying on the second level towards the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport over the road on the first level.

Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) has proposed to construct an elevated metro corridor from Poonamallee to Parandur in the Kancheepuram district along the NH4, on which the NHAI has planned to construct an elevated road from Maduravoyal to Sriperumbudur via Poonamallee.

With the CMRL proposing integration of its new corridor, the NHAI has decided to put on hold a portion of the elevated road from Poonamallee to Sriperumbudur, NHAI sources said.

A senior official of CMRL said they have decided to integrate the Poonamallee-Parandur metro project with the NHAI's elevated road so they can avoid land acquisition.

"The NHAI is planning to construct an elevated road from Maduravoyal to Sriperumbudur. We wanted to integrate the corridor from Poonamallee to Parandur. If the plan works out, the metro and elevated road would be a double-decker till Sriperumbudur, where the elevated road ends. While the metro corridor would continue on the NH4 till Neervalur and take a right towards the proposed Parandur airport," the official said.

CMRL officials said they could avoid land acquisition from Poonamallee to Neervalur on NH4 if they integrate with the elevated road project. The official said they awarded the contract for preparing the detailed project report for the Poonamallee-Parandur metro project last week and the report was expected by November with recommendations on alignment with the elevated road and another separate alignment altogether.

NHAI sources said that following the plan to integrate the metro corridor with the Maduravoyal-Sriperumbudur elevated road project, they would be executing the road project in two phases. The first phase from Maduravoyal to Poonamallee would be taken up this financial year itself, sources said, adding that the Poonamallee to Sriperumbudur portion of the elevated road work has been put on hold for its integration with the metro work.

NHAI has proposed a 23.2 km six-lane elevated highway that would start at Maduravoyal Cloverleaf interchange and end before the toll plaza at Sriperumbudur connecting the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway (BCE). The elevated corridor, which is part of the BCE, would have four entries and exits at Maduravoyal, Outer Ring Road at Poonamallee, Irungattukottai, and Sriperumbudur.

CMRL's proposed metro line from Poonamallee to Parandur would run a total distance of 44 km. As per the detailed feasibility report, the metro line would have 19 stations. The final number of stations and whether the corridor would take a deviation towards Tirumazhisai township or proceed on the NH4 itself would be only known after the preparation of the DPR, the official noted.