Chennai-Kanyakumari 8-Lane Plan to Ease Gridlock, Minister Informs Assembly

Public works minister Aadhav Arjuna on Thursday rejected claims in the legislative assembly that the proposed elevated corridor between Tambaram and Chengalpet had been shelved, stating that the government is instead pursuing a comprehensive eight-lane highway project connecting Chennai and Kanyakumari.

The issue was raised in the assembly by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who highlighted worsening traffic congestion on the Chennai-Trichy national highway. Palaniswami stated that the elevated corridor between Tambaram and Chengalpet had secured approval during the AIADMK administration and was ready for implementation before being put on the backburner during the previous DMK government. He urged the current administration to revive the corridor project.

Responding to the remarks, Arjuna stated that the government had already announced in the House its plan to upgrade the Chennai-Kanyakumari corridor into an eight-lane highway designed to meet regional traffic requirements for the next 30 years. He confirmed that the matter had been formally taken up with the Union ministry of road transport and highways.

The minister pointed out major bottlenecks currently affecting entry and exit points around Chennai. He noted that while travel from Trichy to Chengalpet takes approximately four hours, motorists often spend another three hours covering the remaining stretch to reach Chennai. He added that a similar issue affects commuters travelling from Bengaluru to Tiruvallur, where a three-hour journey is followed by nearly the same amount of time spent entering Central Chennai.

Arjuna emphasized that addressing the congestion requires a comprehensive upgrade of the arterial suburban routes around Chennai rather than piecemeal measures. He expressed confidence that ongoing discussions with the central government regarding the highway expansion would yield results soon.