In another step towards the construction of an elevated four-lane corridor on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, preliminary studies, including soil investigation and traffic count, have commenced.
The project, proposed by the State government in April 2013, is aimed at providing additional road space since the existing six lanes are already saturated, with over one lakh vehicles including 6,000 IT company buses passing through every day. The IT corridor, or OMR as it is more popularly known, houses a number of IT companies employing a total of 1.5 lakh persons.
The proposed elevated road will cover a distance of 45 km from Taramani up to Mamallapuram. The consultant, who was recently appointed, is preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the first phase of the corridor from the Taramani junction to Siruseri. Phase-II will take off at Siruseri and end at Mamallapuram.
Sources in Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNDRC), which maintains the road, said the consultant would have six months to complete the DPR.
Many residents, however, are not in favour of such an elevated corridor. They said it would be better if the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) was extended or an underground train system built.
B. Kannan, a resident of Thoraipakkam, said the earlier proposal for flyovers at the five junctions could be revived too. “It took the government nearly 10 years to construct the road. This elevated road will take more time than that. It will only further inconvenience residents,” he said.
Traffic experts, too, said such a project would not be feasible and prove to be cumbersome.
