Tamil Nadu’s First 10-Lane Expressway Nears Completion: Chennai Peripheral Ring Road Set to Open by January 2026

Tamil Nadu will be inaugurating its first-ever 10-lane expressway in the shape of the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR), a pioneering infrastructure project that will ensure the free flow of traffic within and around the state capital. The 132.87-kilometer-long expressway, which cost ₹12,301 crore to build, is expected to be launched for public use by January 2026.

Renamed the Chennai Border Road, the greenfield expressway will connect Mamallapuram and Kattupalli Port with an imposing width of 196 feet. The six carriageways and two service lanes on either side are planned to facilitate speeds of up to 120 kmph. Two-wheelers have been prohibited on the service lanes for free and secure movement of traffic on the main road.

The work is being undertaken in two phases, and the first of these — a 25.31-km stretch from Ennore Port to Thachur — is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has sanctioned a 40,074 million yen (around ₹2,673 crore) loan. The Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation (TNRDC) is undertaking the work under the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model, and construction on different sections has already commenced.

Once completed, the Peripheral Ring Road will become Chennai’s fourth ring road, strategically linking key industrial and logistics hubs such as Singaperumalkoil, Sriperumbudur, Thiruvallur, Thamaraipakkam, Periyapalayam, Puduvayal, and Kattupalli. The road is expected to significantly reduce travel time, decongest urban traffic, and improve freight movement for port operators including Kamarajar Port, Kattupalli Adani Port, and L&T.

Aside from enhancing commute efficiency, the expressway is set to promote environmental gains through minimized vehicle idling and related air pollution. It shall also complement existing infrastructure development such as the 100-foot Guindy Kathipara-Manali road and the Chennai Bypass stretches connecting Iruliyur-Puzhal and Vandalur-Meenjur.

Rapid development is afoot, and the CPRR is all set to reshape the face of transportation in Chennai within a period of slightly more than one year.