The Hindu Business Line : Hind Construction to work on Chennai bypass

HINDUSTAN Construction Co Ltd will construct the proposed four-lane Chennai bypass phase-II at a cost of Rs 480 crore, while joint venture firm Somdatt-Simplex will build grade separators (flyovers), costing Rs 200 crore, at three junctions in the city.

These projects will give a major facelift to Chennai's infrastructure, according to Mr T.R. Baalu, Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways. Work will start in March and the projects will be completed in 30 months, he told newspersons.

The 13-km Chennai bypass phase-II will start at Maduravoil junction on National Highway-45 (connecting Chennai-Dindigul), where a full cloverleaf structure has been provided, and join the NH-5 (Chennai-Kolkata) near Madhavaram, where provision for a trumpet interchange has been made. A 3.2-km-long elevated highway has been provided for the bypass through the Ambattur Industrial Estate, he said.

The NH-205 (Chennai-Renigunta) will be connected by ramps to the elevated flyover, and eight underpasses along with service road will be provided for movement of local traffic, he said.

Somdatt-Simplex will construct grade separators at Kathipara, Koyambedu and Padi junctions, and also construct a flyover at NH-45 along with an underpass connecting the Tirusulam railway station and the airport, he said.

Land acquisitions will not be a problem for these projects, and the State Government has given the Sidco building to NHAI, said Mr Baalu.

According to Mr V. Muthukrishnan, Chief Project Officer, Tamil Nadu Road Development Co Ltd (TNRDC), the project has been necessitated due to alarming traffic congestion at the junctions. For instance, the traffic intensity in term of passenger car units at Kathipara junction is 2.73 lakh a day, and the peak hour traffic is 19,417. It was a similar situation at Koyambedu (2.54 lakh passenger cars a day) and Padi junction (1.42 lakh cars).

Right from the project conceptualisation to finalising the contractors has been completed in a record time of less than four months, he said. The NHAI has appointed TNRDC at its managing associate to assist in project development implementation.

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