Tenders floated for elevated corridor from Lighthouse to Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge

Tenders floated for elevated corridor from Lighthouse to Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge Stories from the road left The proposed corridor project will help decongest the arterial Santhome High Road. PRINCE FREDERICK PRINCE FREDERICK Greater Chennai Corporation's adaptive traffic signals are coming up in phases at important junctions across the city. These signals are intelligent, do not operate on the basis of pre-set timings and they shorten or lengthen the duration of a signal factoring in the volume of traffic flowing in different directions.

At the Foreshore Estate junction (where Loop Road, DGS Dinakaran Salai, Santhome High Road and Canal Bank Road meet), the new signalling system is in operation. Motorists heading towards Santhome Basilica have no problem with the function of these signals, only their position. The signals are placed too low for motorists to be able to notice them without any difficulty. Even if a moderately tall vehicle is in the front, most other motorists behind this machine would be unable to notice the signals, particularly the green signal as it occupies the lowest point.

There could have been a more "intelligent" placement of the signals. The image clicked on December 19, 2025 was taken at a three-fourth angle which makes the green signal seen clearly. When motorists stand in single file, the visibility of the signals diminishes, particularly the green signal, for those in the rear. Photo: Prince Frederick          Highways Department calls for consultants to prepare a detailed project report.

The corridor will run via Santhome High Road, Greenways Road, and Durgabai Deshmukh Road. It will have two lanes up to 1.8 km, and four lanes for the remaining stretch. The project will take 2 years to complete CHENNAI The Highways Department has called for consultants for preparing a detailed project report for the construction of a four-km elevated corridor from Lighthouse to Thiru.

Vi. Ka. Bridge. This was one of the proposals announced in the Assembly Session to decongest city roads. The Construction and Maintenance Wing has floated tenders for the corridor that is to run via Santhome High Road, Greenways Road, and Durgabai Deshmukh Road. “Santhome High Road faces severe traffic congestion every day during rush hour as a number of VIP vehicles take it. The Marina Loop Road becomes a fresh fish market from 3 p.m.

onwards daily. Though we need relief only till the the Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge is completed, one proposal is to extend the corridor across the river and connect it to the Adyar flyover, so that vehicles can remain elevated for another 700 m,” a source said. The corridor will have two lanes up to 1.8 km, and the remaining of the four-km stretch will have four lanes, making land acquisition necessary.

“Acquisition costs alone could amount to ₹1,000 crore, while the construction would cost around ₹350 crore to ₹400 crore. The project would take two years to complete after receiving approval from the State government,” the source said. A similar proposal to construct an elevated corridor from Lighthouse to Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge across the Adyar was made in 2022. It was proposed to begin near Srinivasapuram and built via the Marina Loop Road.

However, the plan was later dropped, recalled a retired engineer of the Highways Department. The Santhome High Road, which has eight schools, Santhome Cathedral, various associations, and independent bungalows, apartment complexes, and commercial buildings, has not been touched by any widening project so far, the engineer added. Circular corridor A town planner suggested reviving an old proposal for an elevated circular corridor along the Adyar bund.

“It was proposed some 20 years ago. The corridor would help decongest city roads. It could run up to the airport and also connect the Outer Ring Road,” he added.