With land acquisition in an advanced stage, work to construct two flyovers on Chennai-Tiruttani High (CTH) Road, also known as the Chennai-Tiruttani-Renigunta High Road, is likely to begin in a year.
Official sources in the Highways Department said the flyovers would come up at the junction of Vanagaram-Ambattur Road and CTH Road and the Korattur junction in Padi.
“We have received the administrative sanction from the government for land acquisition for these two projects. Both are likely to be four lanes with through traffic to take the flyovers, which would be around 60%-70% of the total number of vehicles passing through these junctions. The civil cost of each of these facilities is likely to be around ₹110 crore,” said an engineer associated with the projects.
The busy road connecting Chennai with Tiruvallur via the Ambattur Industrial Estate and many developing residential localities will also get two more grade separators and two existing road overbridges will be widened. “Traffic on this road has been increasing by leaps and bounds due to all the development. These grade separators are essential so vehicles are not made to wait at junctions for long periods,” said a retired engineer of the Highways Department.
Since all the flyovers cannot be constructed at the same time, since it would involve traffic diversions, the other two flyovers – at Ambattur Estate bus stand and Avadi junction will be taken up in the next fiscal. “The design is under way for the project. Only after the land acquisition is completed, can we write to the government for funds for the construction,” an engineer said.
ROBs to be widened
Road overbridges on Poonamallee-Avadi Road and near TI Cycles are to be widened, since they have exceeded their carrying capacity at present. The road on either side is six lanes, whereas the ROBs are just two lanes, another source said.
The general area drawing for the ROB near TI Cycles has been cleared by both the Railways and the Highways Department. Once the railways completes its work, the department will take up the work, estimated to cost ₹22 crore.
Consumer activist T. Sadagopan, who welcomed the works for the western suburbs, said the CTH Road should be widened adequately. “The work between Padi-Thiruninravur has been inordinately delayed. The road is not uniformly wide and traffic movement is not smooth like with other highways. Local traffic is not segregated from heavy vehicles and those travelling long distances, leading to accidents,” he added.
