In a first, the Chennai Corporation will utilise TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) provisions to acquire private land for road widening.
The Corporation council passed a resolution in this regard on Thursday. This move is expected to be a stepping stone for widening of congested bus routes in the city.
Work on key stretches such as Kaliamman Koil Street, Nelson Manickam Road, Paper Mills Road and Sembium Red Hills Road will begin soon. The civic body has asked Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to issue development rights certificate (DRC) to affected land owners on these stretches.
DRCs entitle property owners to claim additional built-up area (floor space index) in lieu of the area surrendered to the government agency.
Earlier, CMDA had rejected the council’s proposal for devolution of powers to issue DRCs. Now, the certificates are issued only by CMDA to property owners who stand to lose their land because of upcoming infrastructure development projects.
Work on widening Kaliamman Koil Street, a crucial link between Arcot Road and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, is expected to ease congestion near Koyambedu bus terminus, Virugambakkam, Natesan Nagar and Chinmaya Nagar. The road will serve as a crucial link to areas such as Valasaravakkam, Porur, Vadapalani and K.K. Nagar.
The civic body has decided to acquire 37,600 sq. m. of private land on either side of Kaliamman Koil Street to widen a 3.1-km stretch of the road in the first phase.
The width of the road, however, will be restricted to 24 metres on some portions of the stretch. It will be 27 metres wide near Koyambedu market. The existing width of Kaliamman Koil Street varies from 6 metres to 27 metres.
The Corporation council has also approved a resolution to begin the process of widening Nelson Manickam Road from 18 metres to 24 metres. At least 2 metres of private land on either side of the 1.5-km road will be acquired by the Corporation.
A total of 5,200 sq. m. of private land will be acquired for the widening. It is expected to ease traffic congestion on the crucial stretch that connects Nungambakkam and Anna Nagar.
Paper Mills Road and Sembium Red Hills Road will be widened to 18 metres. A total of 17,700 sq. m. of private land will be acquired from private land owners for the purpose. The roads serve as crucial links between Perambur High Road and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai.
