The Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project is expected to be completed by June 2013.
Till now, 32 per cent of the Rs 600-crore project has been completed. It is a very unique port connectivity project, not only for Chennai and Ennore ports, but also for general public of Chennai city,” said the Union Shipping Minister, Mr G.K. Vasan. The Minister handed over a cheque for Rs 50.50 crore (Rs 43.5 crore of Chennai Port Trust and the balance of Ennore Port Ltd) to the National Highways Authority of India.
This is towards equity share contribution for the project. Both ports are together contributing nearly 50 per cent of the total project cost. The Minister said that land acquisition for the project has been completed. For rehabilitation of affected fishermen, necessary fishing stalls are being provided for them, he said.
The project was conceived in 1998 at an estimated cost of Rs.150 crore. A special purpose vehicle was formed with the NHAI, Chennai Port Trust, Ennore Port Ltd and the Tamil Nadu government as partners.
The project is vital not only for future development of both Chennai and Ennore ports but also for the Katupalli port, located beside Ennore port, which is being built by Larsen & Toubro.
Comments:
Ennore - Mannali express highway is not for chennai citizens. It is only used by chennai port and container handling bussiness units. Thousands of container lorries are queuing on the road (all lanes even after expanding the road) and occupies all the lanes of 30 km stretch of this road. The cost of entire project should be charged to chennai port trust, since they are the orginator of this entire messup. They can't take everything granted and do not care for public suffering. Request state government to revist the situation on the ground. If port trust cannot do anything for long queue (30km stretch)of container lorries, it is better to close down their operation which will benifit the citizens using Ennore manali road.
Please Email the Editor