Work to construct the four-lane-wide, 262 km-long Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is expected to commence by the end of this calender year. As part of the process to obtain environmental clearance for the greenfield project, the first public hearing was conducted by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) at Sunguvarchathram in Kancheepuram district on Wednesday.
Some participants sought service lanes in their localities. Those affected by the project wanted enhanced compensation for their land. District Collector M. Aarthi, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Project Director P.T. Mohan and TNPCB District Environment Engineer (Sriperumbudur) P. Ravichandran, along with other officials, were present at the hearing.
The public hearing for the stretch running through Tiruvallur district would be held on August 18 at Mappedu junction.
Of the total 262 km, 106 km would pass through Tamil Nadu. The expressway, which would be designed for speeds of 120 km per hour, would take two years to construct. Though land is being acquired for eight lanes, the road would initially have four lanes of 22.5 m width and a sunken median of 21 m width.
“The public mood seems to be for this project. If we obtain environment clearance, it will take a few more months to begin work,” explained a source in NHAI.