The process of land acquisition for widening some stretches of Tiruvottiyur High Road has begun with the State Highways department issuing notification for the purpose.
Officials of the department said that of the nearly 200 structures that would be affected by the land acquisition, notification has been issued recently for 150 structures located at Theradi on road.
Under the project, the road would be widened from the existing 30-40 feet to 60 feet. This would make way for a four-lane road and thereby, reduce the traffic congestion.
As per estimates, nearly 60,000 passenger car units use the road daily. A stretch of 5-km between Tollgate and Ernavoor bridge is set to be widened under the project, which was started two years ago.
The widening work on one km of the stretch has already been completed. Due to the land acquisition process, the rest of the project work was delayed, an official said.
The persons affected by the project would be either given compensation or a certificate specifying how much land has been acquired and their eligibility to avail themselves of transfer of development rights, the official said.
D. Vellaisamy, a resident of Theradi in Tiruvottiyur, said the project was mooted more than a decade ago. “I would lose 10 feet of space of my shop due to the road widening work. I hope the government would pay compensation without delay,” he said.
Congestion on the road during rush hour is heavy, as cargo trucks from the Chennai Port also use it.
The situation is particularly serious near the Theradi bus stop and Tiruvottiyur market as traffic piles up on the narrow stretch whenever MTC buses or share autorickshaws halt there, he said.
Officials of the Highways Department said the project cost, which was originally Rs.10 crore, is likely to be revised to Rs.25 crore, owing to the land acquisition cost and payment to the utility providers for shifting electricity cables and drinking water pipelines.
By year-end
Encroachments have already been removed from the road. Following the land acquisition process in three months, the road widening project would be completed by this year-end, the officials said.
