Chennai Corporation Plans ₹150 Crore Road Upgrade Across 160 Km

The Greater Chennai Corporation is preparing to take up the first phase of a city-wide road improvement programme covering around 160 km of damaged roads across all 15 zones, with an estimated investment of ₹150 crore.

Detailed project reports (DPRs) have been prepared for 780 roads and submitted to the Tamil Nadu government for administrative approval. The proposed works cover both damaged bus route roads and interior roads, with the project estimates currently under examination.

Of the 780 roads identified for the first phase, 66 are bus route roads covering 45.13 km, while 714 are interior roads extending across 114.87 km. The proposed works are expected to include road relaying and other improvement measures, along with junction and footpath upgrades wherever required.

The programme forms part of a larger road improvement plan for 2026–27. Under the broader proposal, around 360 km of roads within the Greater Chennai Corporation limits are expected to be improved at an estimated total cost of ₹300 crore. The second phase is likely to be taken up after the northeast monsoon.

Several important roads and locations have been identified for the first phase. These include the Nelson Manickam Road and Duraisamy subways, along with stretches of Sterling Road, Velachery Main Road, Indira Nagar avenues, Ashok Nagar 10th Avenue, Vijayaraghava Road, Ormes Road, Madanakuppam Road, East Kalmandapam Road and Arunachalam Street.

Roads in low-lying areas such as Pulianthope, Velachery and Vyasarpadi are also among those identified for improvement. The selection covers different parts of the city rather than concentrating the work on a single corridor.

The project is being processed through the Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation, which is examining the project estimates and funding requirements. The corporation will be able to float tenders after receiving the required administrative approval.

Officials are looking to begin physical road improvement works before the northeast monsoon, particularly on stretches that have deteriorated significantly. Where major relaying work cannot be completed within the available timeframe, interim repairs using cold-mix material may be considered.

The Greater Chennai Corporation currently maintains 488 bus route roads covering about 418.56 km and nearly 35,978 interior roads spanning more than 5,600 km. The proposed 160-km first phase therefore represents a targeted improvement programme within the corporation’s much larger road network.

The road upgrade initiative comes as Chennai prepares for a broader shift in the maintenance of bus route roads, with responsibility expected to move to the state highways department next year.