In a few months’ time, motorists taking the 32-km long elevated Chennai bypass running from Perungalathur to Puzhal will soon find the drive smoother. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will be re-laying the top layer of both the main carriageway and the service roads on either side.
Official sources in the NHAI said that the work has to be completed in May 2024 and the re-laying would be taken up accordingly. Tenders had been called for the works and that process was underway at their headquarters. “We will be undertaking cold milling the surface to not increase the height of the road. When this is done at least 30% of the removed material will be reused,” explained the source.
The total value of the works to be taken up for this road is ₹100 crore and renewal of the surface is only one component. Other works include the replacement of metal beam crash barriers that have been damaged in many places. “Around 90% of the stretch has stormwater drains. However, only 50% of the structures have covers, those would be provided. Drains would be constructed in the remaining portions too,” another official said.
Recently, work to provide lighting for the entire stretch of the road was completed at a cost of ₹14.32 crore. A total of 2,133 LED lights were installed using 347 single-arm bracket poles of 9 mt height each, 1,033 double-arm bracket poles of 10 mt height each, and 1,033 single-arm bracket poles of the same height.
Jude Mathew, Tamil Nadu Independent Vehicle Owners Association, said that the period of surface renewal could be reduced from the present five to three years since the number of heavy vehicles and multi axle vehicles using it is rather high. “Policing should also be increased. There should be visible policing on the bypass. And since most of the road runs inside Chennai city, the toll plazas should be removed,” he said.
