A government notification to acquire land for widening a 10.5-km stretch of East Coast Road from Thiruvanmiyur to Akkarai is to be issued shortly.
Sources in the Highways Department said that the width in the stretch varies between 50 and 80 ft. After the widening, the stretch would be 100 ft and the road would have six lanes. The stretch witnesses heavy traffic and, therefore, required widening. According to traffic studies, 10,000 passenger car units (PCUs) use the stretch during rush hour and a total 40,000 PCUs through the day.
Of Rs.35.50 crore required for land acquisition, the State government had already sanctioned Rs.10 crore. In 2006, it had approved the project covering six revenue villages, including Thiruvanmiyur, Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Neelankarai, Injambakkam and Vettuvankani, the sources said.
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Initially, the notification would be issued to three revenue villages. After this, 30 days time would be given for any objection from the public. The entire process of land acquisition is expected to be completed in a year. Both patta and poromboke lands dot the sides of the road that is an important link between Chennai and Puducherry through Mahabalipuram.
For patta properties, compensation would cover the cost of the land and the structure. In addition, a solatium would be paid. For poromboke lands, only the cost of the structure would be paid as compensation.
The Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) has submitted a proposal to the State government to widen 113.2 km of ECR from Akkarai to Hanumanthai, near Puducherry. The proposal envisages making the road into four lanes with a median. The TNRDC maintains the road and collects toll. As the road is narrow and has several sharp turns, it witnesses a number of accidents, including head-on collisions.
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