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T.E. Raja Simhan

Chennai, Oct. 31 The cost of the Chennai-Ennore Port Road Connectivity project has increased by nearly 74 per cent due to factors such as increase in the cost of land acquisition, resettlement and raw material. The project to improve movement of road-bound cargo to and from Chennai port is likely to be completed by 2011 instead of 2008-end.

The revised project cost is now Rs 537 crore, against Rs 309 crore earmarked in 2000. The project was originally conceptualised in 1998 at a cost of Rs 150 crore, according to sources.

The Chennai Port Trust is one of the partners of the special purpose vehicle called Chennai-Ennore Port Road Company Ltd, along with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Tamil Nadu Government. This project is part of the Government’s plan to improving port connectivity of Chennai port to the State/National highway network.

The road connecting the port’s northern gate, which passes through the Fishing Harbour, will also be upgraded under the project. As on date, the shore protection work has been completed and about 80,000 sq m land has been reclaimed along the Ennore coast, which was in the past severely affected by sea erosion.

Earlier works such as shore protection work, the four-lane Ennore Expressway, improving the Tiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panjetti Road and the Inner Ring Road, and rehabilitation and resettlement of families affected by the project were entrusted to different vendors. All these will be given to a single vendor. The NHAI has come out with a new tender for the revised project.

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