September 6, 2025“The Tamil Nadu State Highways Authority (TNSHA) has launched a major road project along the East Coast Road (ECR). A four-lane elevated corridor, covering 14.2 km from Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi, will soon be built to reduce heavy congestion. The project cost is estimated at Rs 2,100 crore.”
Project Highlights:
Objective: To alleviate traffic congestion at 13 major junctions and provide a faster route for travelers heading south.
Route: The elevated road will run on pillars along the median from near Tidel Park in Thiruvanmiyur to Uthandi.
Features: It will be a four-lane road with pedestrian walkways. There will be exit and entry ramps at key locations such as LB Road Junction, Thiruvanmiyur RTO, Neelankarai, Injambakkam, and Akkarai. The project will include a closed-gate toll system where charges depend on the distance traveled.
Benefits: The project aims to reduce travel time between Thiruvanmiyur and Uthandi from one hour to 15-20 minutes and help ease congestion on the parallel Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR).
Status: International tenders were issued in late August 2025, with corrigendum notices in November 2025, indicating the project is in the initial procurement and planning stages.
Related ECR Work:
Work is nearing completion on the six-laning of the 9.2 km at-grade section of the ECR between Thiruvanmiyur and Akkarai, with about 90% finished.
The corridor will begin near Tidel Park and extend up to Uthandi. It will be built on the road median with supporting pillars and will include pathways for pedestrians. The structure will have a width ranging from 16 to 20 metres and a clearance height of 5.5 metres for vehicles below.
International tenders for construction were floated on August 26. Officials confirmed that the project will follow the hybrid annuity model (HAM), which combines EPC and BOT methods.”
Faster Travel Time
The stretch between Thiruvanmiyur and Uthandi currently takes around one hour during peak hours. Once the elevated road is operational, motorists travelling towards Mamallapuram, Puducherry, and Cuddalore are expected to cover the same route in 15 to 20 minutes.
Exit Points And Junctions Covered
The project will provide relief across 13 traffic-heavy junctions including Neelankarai, Kottivakkam, Vettuvankeni,Injambakkam, Akkarai, and Panaiyur.Exit ramps will be built at LB Road Junction, Thiruvanmiyur RTO, Neelankarai, Injambakkam, and Akkarai. The corridor will function as a toll road under a closed-gate system. Charges will be collected based on distance travelled.
ECR And OMR Connectivity
Along with easing congestion on ECR, the corridor will serve as an alternative route for commuters moving from Adyar to Kelambakkam, Thiruporur, and Mambakkam through ECR, reducing pressure on the busy OMR stretch.
At present, the section handles nearly 70,000 passenger car units daily. Officials expect the new flyover to bring
smoother traffic flow for both local and intercity travellers.
Ongoing ECR Expansion
Alongside this project, the six-laning of a 9.2 km portion between Thiruvanmiyur and Akkarai is close to completion, with about 90 per cent of work already done.Currently, the state’s longest operational elevated corridor is the 7.3 km Madurai- Natham road. Once completed, the Thiruvanmiyur-Uthandi corridor will be the longest of its kind in Tamil Nadu
