Tamil Nadu Plans New Link Road Between OMR and ECR; DPR Tender Invited

The Tamil Nadu Government is planning to develop a new link road connecting Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), also known as Rajiv Gandhi Salai, and East Coast Road (ECR) in Chennai. The proposed road is planned between Sholinganallur and Kovalam to improve connectivity between the two major roads.

The State Highways Department has invited tenders to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed link road. The selected agency is expected to complete the DPR within three months.

Survey and Feasibility Studies Planned

As part of the initial work, the selected agency will undertake land surveys, traffic studies and soil testing in the Sholinganallur and Kovalam areas. The assessment will also cover groundwater conditions, land acquisition requirements and project cost estimates.

These studies will help determine the technical feasibility, land requirements and estimated cost of the proposed road project.

New Road May Reduce Travel Time

Currently, the Thoraipakkam–Neelankarai Road is the main connecting route between OMR and ECR. People travelling from Sholinganallur, Siruseri and Kelambakkam towards Kovalam and Mahabalipuram may need to travel around 12 km extra to reach their destinations.

According to the report, the proposed link road could reduce the travel time between the connected areas to around 10 minutes. Officials also expect the new road to ease traffic congestion at the Sholinganallur junction.

The project is currently at the DPR preparation stage. Further details, including the final alignment, land acquisition plan, estimated project cost and construction schedule, are expected to become clearer after the report is completed.