Many congested roads in Chennai Metropolitan Area to be widened – The Hindu

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has started a survey for widening several roads in the metropolitan area. 

Work has started along a 3-km stretch of Sardar Patel Road from Anna Salai to Madhya Kailash. Based on the survey, Sardar Patel Road is expected to be widened from 20 metres to 30.5 metres. The preparation of the land plan schedule is expected to be completed soon. “We will not take land from the Forest Department. In a bid to widen Sardar Patel Road, we may have to shift the median. The area of private land to be acquired will be finalised shortly,” said an official.

The survey of Sardar Patel Road will be completed by Monday. Survey for widening the Ethiraj Salai will be taken up shortly. The Ethiraj Salai is proposed to be widened to 18 metres along the stretch from Pantheon Road junction to the Cooum in Egmore. Similarly, the width of the stretch of Greams Road from Pantheon Road to Anna Salai will be increased to 18 metres.

The road widening has been proposed to improve traffic flow during rush hour, clear major traffic bottlenecks, ease traffic congestion and improve last mile connectivity to Metro Rail and other modes of public transit in the metropolitan area, the officials said.

Widening of roads such as Sardar Patel Road was prescribed in the First Master Plan in 1975. After the Second Master Plan in 2008, the CMDA started obtaining gift deed for the land required for the road widening whenever a private owner approached the CMDA for redevelopment of buildings. Most of the private land had been acquired through gift deed for road widening. Land will be acquired from private owners who have not yet given the gift deeds for widening the road, the officials said.

The width of Kilpauk Garden Road will be increased to 18 metres, Hunters Road to 24 metres, Village Road connecting Kodambakkam High Road and Nungambakkam High Road will be widened to 27 metres. Tank Bund Road will be widened to 18 metres from the junction of Nelson Manickam Road-Sterling Road to Valluvar Kottam.

New Avadi Road from E.V.R. Periyar Salai to Kilpauk Water Works will be widened to 18 metres. Paper Mills Road from Siruvallur Road junction to the city limits will be widened to 18 metres. L.B. Road in Adyar will be widened to 30.5 metres.

Following instructions from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, CMDA Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Apoorva and CMDA Member Secretary Anshul Mishra, officials have started work on development of a grid of wider roads to ease traffic congestion in many parts of the metropolitan area.