The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Chennai road projects work on course: Baalu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 05, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Chennai road projects work on course: Baalu

Special Correspondent

Koyambedu, Kathipara projects require additional land

CHENNAI: The execution of Chennai road projects, being undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India, is going on as scheduled.

This was conveyed by the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, T.R. Baalu, at a meeting to review the progress of the works at New Delhi on Wednesday.

Flyovers at Kathipara, Koyambedu and Padi junctions besides the one near the Chennai Airport, widening of the National Highway-4 (Chennai-Bangalore) from Maduravoyal to Koyambedu and Chennai Bypass-Phase I (Irumbuliyur to Maduravoyal) into four lanes, and laying a four-lane Chennai Bypass Phase-II (Maduravoyal to Madavaram) form part of the projects.

According to an official release issued here, the works were so far completed on time as they were carried out on the land already available with the project authorities. For carrying out further works at the Koyambedu and Kathipara project sites, the additional land required from the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation, Tamil Nadu Housing Board and private owners was to be made available at the earliest. The SIDCO and the TNHB had recommended for sparing the land "long back" but "the formal approval of the State Government is still awaited," the release said.

Responding to the concern expressed by the NHAI over the delay in transfer of land of the Airports Authority of India for the flyover project near the Chennai airport, Mr. Baalu "immediately took up" the issue with the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Praful Patel, who agreed to expedite the granting of permission to the NHAI to enter the airport premises in connection with the work, pending completion of formalities for formal transfer of the land.

As for the Chennai Bypass phase-II, "practically, no progress could be achieved" for want of land acquisition and shifting of utilities by the State Government, the NHAI's chief, Santosh Nautiyal, told Mr. Baalu, who urged the officials to accelerate the pace of execution.

Construction of three piers with 18 piles at Koyambedu would commence by August 17 after obtaining permission for traffic diversion. Further, the construction of foundation for additional four piers would begin by the third week of this month at Kathipara. Though the Electricity Board and Metrowater had been paid a total of Rs. 11.63 crores for shifting their lines, the work was yet to start, the release said.

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