Government Suspends Rs 2,100 Crore Thiruvanmiyur To Uthandi Elevated Corridor Project

On Thursday, the state cabinet decided to put the Rs 2,100 crore Uthandi elevated corridor project on hold pending a report from a technical committee. The 14.2-kilometer, four-lane elevated road project was planned along the East Coast Road (ECR) from West Avenue Road in Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi.

The decision to temporarily halt the massive infrastructure project was made during a cabinet meeting where officials gave a detailed briefing on the high-cost venture. The TVK government cabinet, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, chose to pause the development due to controversy over alleged cost escalation that arose after the new administration assumed office.

"We have decided to keep the project on hold till a technical committee examines it," an official said, noting that a detailed project report is currently awaited.

The project was originally planned by the previous DMK government to ease severe traffic congestion along the ECR. In its budget last year, the DMK government announced that the State Highways Authority would construct the four-lane elevated road.

In a government order issued in May last year, the previous administration had highlighted that rapid urbanization along the ECR had led to dense development in surrounding areas. This development had caused a manifold increase in traffic along the route, which the elevated corridor was intended to mitigate.

The construction was designed to be implemented under a hybrid annuity model. The plan featured a short concession period of eight years, which included a three-year construction period. The state was also set to provide a 40 percent grant for the project.

The suspension of the Uthandi corridor comes just days after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced the cancellation of another Chennai-based project. The temporary halt delays the planned construction meant to address the growing transit demands of the rapidly developing coastal corridor.