TNSHA Forms Panel to Cut ECR Elevated Corridor Cost by Rs 600 Crore

The Tamil Nadu State Highways Authority (TNSHA) has constituted a technical committee to explore ways to reduce the cost of the proposed 13.3-km four-lane elevated corridor on the Thiruvanmiyur-Uthandi stretch of the East Coast Road (ECR) in Chennai. The panel aims to trim the project's budget by Rs 600 crore, lowering the total cost from Rs 2,100 crore to Rs 1,500 crore by optimizing design specifications.

According to officials, the technical specifications originally proposed for the elevated corridor are higher than the standards typically followed by agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India and other state highway authorities. While the cost of construction materials cannot be reduced, a review found that specifications for several structural components exceed what is necessary for a four-lane elevated corridor.

Specifically, the design specifications for the piers, foundation length and depth, and bituminous layer width were found to be higher than required. These enhanced specifications necessitate larger quantities of construction inputs, including bitumen, cement, sand, and reinforcement steel bars, which has inflated the overall project cost.

By revising these specifications to align with the actual requirements of the project, TNSHA expects to reduce the quantity of materials needed. This adjustment is also projected to lower associated manpower and infrastructure costs, ultimately reducing the overall project expenditure by 25% to 30%.

The contract for the project was awarded two months before the state Assembly elections. TNSHA issued the Letter of Award in February this year and subsequently signed an agreement with the contractor. Under the terms of the agreement, the contractor has been given 180 days from the date of the award to commence civil works.

An official explained that cancelling the contract at this stage would likely result in legal disputes. Consequently, the authority decided to reduce the project cost by changing the design specifications instead.

The contractor will be given the option to execute the project based on these revised specifications. If the contractor finds the new terms unviable, they may choose to withdraw from the project.

Once completed, the 17.25-metre-wide four-lane elevated corridor is expected to significantly ease traffic on the ECR. The project aims to reduce the travel time between Tidel Park in Thiruvanmiyur and Uthandi from approximately 60 minutes to 15 minutes.