Velachery-GST Road link project kick starts

Work on extending the southern arm of Inner Ring Road, linking Velachery with Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road through some of the fastest developing localities in south Chennai, has begun. The State Highways Department, which is implementing the project, commenced the work a few days ago on the west of Pallikaranai swamp. It is scheduled for completion within two years. Embankments An official of the Department said with the swamp being a low-level area and prone to flooding, sand embankments were being built before starting work on the multi-lane road project. The embankments, 10-feet each, are coming up on both sides of the tracks of Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS). Simultaneously, the department has started work on the other side to provide connectivity with the Thillai Ganga Nagar subway. The five-kilometre project involves laying a couple of four-lane roads on either side of the MRTS, which after some distance would converge to become a single four-lane corridor. According to the official, ample space would be provided on the stretch for construction of piers for the MRTS phase II extension from Velachery to St. Thomas Mount. This is required since the extension would be on elevated tracks. Space would also be provided for constructing a canal to drain the rainwater from Veerangal Odai to the Pallikaranai swamp. Residents of Velachery attribute the flooding of their area during monsoon to the absence of such a link canal. The department official said the Inner Ring Road project will cost around Rs.100 crore, of which nearly three-fourth is towards the land acquisition. The remaining amount would be on the road work. He added that the land acquisition has been completed.