THE TIMES OF INDIA

Work yet to wrap up, but Chennai Bypass-II is a hit

Chennai: K.V.Kamaraj, a finance executive of a privacy firm on the Chennai-Bangalore Highway (NH-4) in Maduravoyal, is a happy man these days. Reason? He reaches his office in just 15 minutes by car from his residence in Ambattur, thanks to the newly – laid Chennai Bypass-II.

About 20% of the work on the stretch is yet to be completed but vehicle users in areas such as Ambattur, Korattur and Padi on the Madras-Tirupati High road (NH-205) have been able to reach Maduravoyil faster. For them, it is a mere 5-km drive from the Ambattur telephone exchange.

“Earlier, it used to take about 45 minutes for me to reach my office since I had to drive for about 15km through Mogappair, Tirumangalam and Koyambedu to reach the Maduravoyal junction. Now, the Chennai Bypass-II has come as a great relief for people like me. Our only appeal to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is that the project should be completed as soon as possible so that it will become a new bus route for Chennaiites,”said Kamaraj, who lives near the Ambattur telephone exchange.

The Chennai Bypass is being implemented in two phases at a total cost for Rs.405 crore to interlink all the four national highways around the city and minimize traffic congestion within the city limits.

While the 19km-long Chennai Bypass –I from Tambaram to Maduravoyal has already been completed as in use, about 80% of the works on the 13-km long Chennai Bypass-II up to Madhavaram through Ambattur Industrial Estate and Pataravakkam has been completed. The three-km long elevated corridor, a part of the Chennai Bypass-II and the first of its kind in the state, which has already been completed, will be put to use only after the completion of the project.

“A rail-over bridge at Pattaravakkam and flyover at the Maduravoyal junction are in progress. The main carriage way is yet to be finished on some stretches. We hope the project will be completed by June next year. Once the project is complete, vehicles from Tiruchi and other southern districts coming through the Grand Southern Trunk Road (NH45) can reach the Chennai – Bangalore High Road (NH4), the Madras – Tirupati High Road (NH205) and the Chennai – Kolkata High Road (NH5) without touching the city,” a senior NHAI official told TOI.

The project was to be completed in 2007; officials said adding that the delay was due to the land acquisition process and rains.