Chennai Corporation plans to relay 8 arterial roads and 242 interior roads, totalling 250 roads, at Rs 53 crore cost; additional Rs 1 crore for project management consultant.

Arterial roads to be relaid:

• MMDA second and third main road
• TNPSC road (Fazer bridge)
• Gandhi Irwin bridge, Egmore
• Nelson Manickam Road (2km)
• Sterling road, Nungambakkam (1km)
• 70 feet road, Perambur
• Sterling Avenue road, Nungambakkam

Zones covered: Royapuram, Teynampet, Perungudi, Sholinganallur, Manali, Madhavaram.

Interior roads in Manali zone include Manali New Town 150 feet Main Road, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar extension, Kalaignar Nagar, Ariyalur Pond Road, Kambar first and second main road. Royapuram zone roads include Barracks First Lane, Ezhil Nagar, Alwarpet lane. Teynampet zone: Sivan Koil street, Dayal Nagar. Other zones: Anna Nagar main and streets (5th, 6th, 7th), Kakkan Street, Madhavaram (Indira Nagar, MMM Garden, JJ Nagar Pond Road).

Roads currently have patch works which may wear off during rains. Consultant appointed for 3 months to review contractor progress, prepare weekly inspection reports, check compliance to specifications, detail defects, and issue completion certificate.

• A 500-metre stretch of Khader Nawaz Khan Road from the Uttamar Gandhi Salai junction in Chennai has been redesigned as a pedestrian-first public space and launched on Thursday.
• It is the second pedestrian-focused commercial stretch executed by Greater Chennai Corporation after the T Nagar pedestrian plaza.
• Vehicular flow is not restricted yet, but the stretch may be fully pedestrianised in future.
• Cobblestone paving is intended to slow vehicles and improve safety for pedestrians.
• Parking has been barred on the stretch, except for regulated pick-up and drop-off.
• Visitors can use the corporation’s paid off-street parking facilities nearby.
• The project is under the Complete Streets programme.
• Street space earlier used for unregulated parking and other underutilised areas has been converted into accessible walkways, street furniture, bollards and seating.
• Underground utilities including cables, storm water drain and drinking water supply have been bundled into a utility duct to reduce road digging for repairs.
• ITDP India’s pre-project survey recorded 200 pedestrians per hour in the morning peak and 350 per hour in the evening.
• The redesign follows an open-mall approach intended to increase time spent on the street and support nearby shops and the local economy.
• Upcoming pedestrian-priority streets include:
• 1 km of Monegar Choultry (MC) Road in Royapuram zone
• 0.9 km of Race Course Road in Adyar zone
• 2.4 km of Thiruvottiyur High Road and Arunachaleswar Koil Street in Tondiarpet zone
• 1.6 km of Pulla Avenue in Anna Nagar zone
• 1.2 km of Shastri Nagar 1st Avenue in Adyar zone
• 0.8 km of Race Course Link Road in Adyar zone
• These streets are to be interconnected through another 200 km of footpath for continuous walking infrastructure, and the plan is in the final stages of design.

Southern Railway has proposed a new greenfield terminal at Perambur, 7 km from Chennai Central, to ease congestion at the main station. The proposal was recently approved by general manager RN Singh and has received in-principle approval from the railway board, though the Detailed Project Report has not been finalised.

Intended train shifts: 35-40% of trains from Chennai Central, including Shatabdi and Vande Bharat services bound for Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru, will be relocated to the new terminal.

Operational concerns raised:

• Shifting express trains to Perambur would require suburban trains to halt between Perambur and Villivakkam to access the fast line
• Railway would need to interchange slow and fast lines, requiring relocation of amenities including toilets, eateries, water plants and offices at en-route stations
• Restoration of suburban operations could take 15-20 years
• 2016 Commissioner of Railway Safety report recommended avoiding frequent fast/slow line shifts to reduce accident risks after a Pattabiram collision
• MTC buses may struggle to access the terminal due to heavy traffic on Konnur High Road

Alternative proposal: Rail Users Consultative Committee member suggested developing the terminal near Tiruvallur, which is connected to the suburban network with available land.

This follows the stalled Tambaram terminal project, ongoing for seven years without completion.