Chennai’s Crucial Highway Project Scrapped as Commuters Face Endless Traffic Jams
NHAI drops key Chennai highway expansion, worsening traffic chaos for commuters.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has shelved the long-pending 10.2 km six-lane elevated corridor project from Madhavaram to Nallur toll plaza in North Chennai, citing lack of state cooperation and unresolved land issues. The ₹1,893 crore project, first proposed in 2018 to ease congestion and eliminate seven accident black spots, required clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) due to its proximity to a prehistoric megalithic site within Puzhal jail. Despite multiple requests between 2020 and 2021, no NOC was issued, prompting NHAI to de-entrust the section to the Tamil Nadu Highways Department.
The 10.3 km Madhavaram-Cholavaram stretch, currently a four-lane road, handles 80,000–95,000 vehicles daily—qualifying it for a 10-lane upgrade under IRC norms. Commuters now endure 70–90-minute delays to cover just 10 km during peak hours. Similarly, the 22 km Padi-Thiruninravur stretch, meant for six-laning, was abandoned in 2012 due to trader opposition and land acquisition hurdles, severely impacting freight movement to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The Madhavaram-Nallur widening plan was also dropped in 2013 for the same reasons.
Local residents and truckers accuse both NHAI and the state government of administrative inaction. S Suresh Babu, president of the Bilakuppam Village Welfare Association, questioned the disparity in project prioritization: “NHAI is building a ₹5,570 crore elevated expressway from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal and a ₹1,241 crore corridor from Maduravoyal to Poonamallee—why not here?” He highlighted that emergency vehicles, including ambulances from Gummidipoondi, crawl for nearly two hours to reach central Chennai.
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With the elevated corridor now indefinitely postponed, the stretch will revert to state control once the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways formally de-entrusts it. An NHAI official confirmed that future decisions lie with the state. Meanwhile, North Chennai’s critical connectivity to Andhra Pradesh remains choked, with no immediate relief in sight for lakhs of daily commuters and transporters.
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