Six Chennai Arterial Roads May Soon Be Widened to Ease Traffic

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) have directed a feasibility study to expand six broad city roads to alleviate extreme traffic congestion in key stretches.

The roads being considered are Gandhi Mandapam Road, Sardar Patel Road, New Avadi Road, Dr Radhakrishnan Road, Paper Mills Road, and Kamarajar Salai Amongst these, the Kamarajar Salai is being proposed to be a four-lane road.

According to GCC Mayor R. Priya, the proposal and project budget will be drafted based on the findings of the feasibility report. “With the city rapidly urbanising and the population steadily increasing, projects like these are critical for improving infrastructure and quality of life,” she told The Times of India.

The feasibility study, which began in late January, is expected to be completed within the next two weeks. GCC chief engineer (general) K. Vijayakumar stated that the study includes a review of road width specifications in the city’s master plan and a survey for potential private land acquisition. We aim to cut congestion, not increase roads,” he said.

Residents and urban planners have, however, expressed concern over the plan. Critics argue that widening roads like Dr. Radhakrishnan Road and Kamarajar Salai, currently 20-25 metres wide, may not solve traffic problems. These roads, they say, are already overburdened due to a dense concentration of commercial, healthcare, religious, and educational institutions along the 2.5 km stretch.

“Widening won’t help unless there’s a cap on Floor Space Index (FSI) to limit vertical growth along these roads,” said Dayanand Krishnan, a Chennai-based GIS consultant. “Moreover, road expansion could eat into building setbacks now used for parking. That might push vehicles onto the roads, worsening congestion.”

As Chennai’s urban landscape evolves, the city faces a complex challenge: balancing development with sustainable, people-centric planning.