Chennai–Kanyakumari 8-Lane Highway Plan Gains Focus as Tamil Nadu Rejects Elevated Corridor Revival

Chennai–Kanyakumari highway plan takes centre stage

Tamil Nadu has shifted its focus towards a broader road infrastructure plan connecting Chennai with Kanyakumari, as the state government defended its decision not to revive the proposed Tambaram–Chengalpet elevated corridor.

Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna told the Assembly that the government is instead pursuing an eight-lane upgrade of the Chennai–Kanyakumari corridor. The proposal is intended to address traffic requirements over the next three decades and has already been taken up with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

The statement came in response to AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who raised concerns over worsening congestion on the Chennai–Trichy National Highway. Palaniswami argued that the Tambaram–Chengalpet elevated corridor had been approved during the AIADMK regime and was ready for execution before being put on the backburner.

Arjuna rejected the suggestion that the project was simply shelved following a change in government. Instead, he said the state was looking at a more comprehensive solution covering the wider Chennai–Kanyakumari corridor.

Traffic pressure drives wider road upgrade

The minister pointed to the severe congestion faced by motorists approaching Chennai from major highways. According to him, a journey from Trichy to Chengalpet can take around four hours, followed by another three hours to reach Chennai.

Similar delays are being experienced on the Bengaluru–Tiruvallur route, with travel to Tiruvallur taking around three hours and further movement into central Chennai adding significant time.

The government’s argument is that these bottlenecks cannot be addressed effectively through isolated road projects. A larger upgrade of Chennai’s arterial suburban routes, combined with increased highway capacity, is being positioned as a longer-term solution.

The proposed eight-lane Chennai–Kanyakumari corridor could therefore represent a significant shift in how the state approaches capacity expansion on one of Tamil Nadu’s key road routes.

Arjuna expressed confidence that discussions with the Centre would produce progress on the proposal soon. However, the statement did not provide a specific project cost, construction timeline or implementation schedule for the proposed eight-lane highway.

For now, the focus remains on securing central support and moving the broader corridor upgrade forward, while congestion continues to put pressure on Chennai’s suburban approaches.