Work to construct Rajiv Gandhi Salai’s (popularly known as OMR) first flyover has begun with Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) taking up pile work at the Thoraipakkam junction. According to official sources in the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), four flyovers are to come up in all and are to be constructed by the CMRL in an integrated manner with their elevated line.
Sources in the CMRL said the work that is being carried out at present is to construct piles on the extension of the Thoraipakkam – Pallavaram Radial Road. So far around 15 have been constructed. “The same pillar will carry both the flyovers and the rail corridor. The work is to integrate the station along with the flyover,” said a source. The State government, had in August 2023, sanctioned ₹331 crore for the construction of flyovers at Taramani – SRP Tools Junction, MGR Salai – Perungudi, Thoraipakkam Radial Road junction and Sholinganallur junction, which is a long-pending demand of the motorists of the IT Corridor. It also released ₹50 crore as the first instalment at the same time. The flyovers are likely to cost ₹459.32 crore, of which the TNRDC would bear ₹331 crore. The remaining cost would be borne by CMRL.
Meanwhile, only recently did the decks were cleared for building flyovers at the four junctions with a high-level committee giving its approval for the same. According to officials of the CMRL, the project management review committee has given its nod for the construction work. While a flyover with rotary (a circular junction or intersection connecting four sides) will come up one each at Thoraipakkam and Sholinganallur respectively, a T-shaped flyover will come up near SRP Tools junction and an L-shaped flyover at Perungudi.
In the 116-km Chennai Metro Rail’s phase II project, a long stretch of OMR is a part of corridor 3. This corridor starts at Madhavaram and passes through areas including Ayanavaram, Perambur, Thousand Lights, Royapettah, Thirumayilai, Adyar, Indira Nagar, Tiruvanmiyur, Taramani, Perungudi and Thoraipakkam, and covers numerous locations along the OMR before it ends at SIPCOT. The corridor has been planned as an underground stretch from Madhavaram till Taramani and climbs above beyond this point and is being built as an elevated corridor upto SIPCOT.
“While the flyover will be in the first level, the Chennai Metro Rail viaduct will be at the second level. From the ground, the flyover has been planned at a height of about six metres. The Chennai Metro Rail viaduct will be built at a height of about 18 metres from the ground. But in Sholinganallur alone, since two corridors of the phase II project meet (corridor 3 and corridor 5), the maximum height of the viaduct will be about 25 metres,” an official said. Officials said they plan to award contracts for this work shortly.
