Chennai: Tamil Nadu has urged the Centre to develop an eight-lane, 700km Chennai-Kanyakumari corridor by widening the East Coast Road (ECR) — which has already been partially expanded into a four-way by the NHAI and State Highways. The project is expected to ease mounting traffic congestion and cut travel time by up to 40%.NHAI officials said that out of 320km between Chennai and Nagapattinam, over 250km have already been widened in the ECR. A 46-km four-laning project between Marakkanam to Puducherry is under way at a cost of ₹2,157 crore.Beyond this, many stretches are still two-lane. Highways minister Aadhav Arjuna, after inspecting the Chennai-Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR) connecting Ennore and Mahabalipuram, said Tamil Nadu does not have enough six-lane or eight-lane corridors. “We have asked the Centre to take up the Chennai-Kanyakumari eight-lane corridor project,” he said, adding that at present, vehicles are choked on the Chennai-Trichy highway, and it takes three hours to enter the city from Chengalpet.Highways officials said eight-laning is possible on the coastal front, and the NHAI sped up land acquisition in Puducherry. An official with the highways southern region said, “They have special laws to acquire land quickly for roads of national importance, and they can also take over state highways by just publishing a notification. Hence, instead of state highways expanding their highways in multiple districts, NHAI must fund the project for speedy progress and execute it.”An official said the state highways can assist NHAI by building SPUR roads to other state highways in districts.Aadhav Arjuna said the state govt is preparing new quality check rules for Industrial corridors. “The industrial corridors need better quality to withstand heavy truck movement. These roads will be improved,” he said, adding that the 133km CPRR will be completed by next year.The minister said a Northern Port Access Road from Ennore to the port is also being built. Officials said, in future, vehicles from central, south and western districts can enter the port quickly through the CPRR, which has entries in Mahablipuram and Singaperumal Kovil. It ends at Ennore after covering Sriperambur, Tiruvallur, Thamaraipakkam, Thatchur and Kattupalli.
