Widening of ECR stretch at Palavakkam to be completed in a few months

Highways Department is clearing the encroachments on the road

The Highways Department has taken up removal of encroachments at Palavakkam on the East Coast Road as part of the road-widening work between Thiruvanmiyur and Akkarai.

The State government recently issued the administrative sanction for ₹17.43-crore work which is expected to be completed in a couple of months. It has also sanctioned ₹15.43 crore for another scheme at Kottivakkam.

"There are three kinds of land that are being acquired for the project. One set is patta lands, which are under acquisition and for which a 12-step process is involved. At present, the Revenue Department is doing the valuation for these lands. Then we have government poromboke lands and in the case of Palavakkam there are grama natham lands that have been given under a government patta scheme. We are looking to compensate these people too. Then, there are encroachments on highways land which are being removed," said a source in the Highways Department.

Lands and properties at seven revenue villages are to be acquired for widening the 10-km stretch into a six-lane road. The acquisition alone will cost the government ₹778 crore.

After taking possession of the land after the removal of encroachments or completing the acquisition, the department will construct stormwater drain on those stretches and build the road in that portion.

“Traffic moves slowly on the road and accidents happen often, which is why widening was proposed and taken up initially. However, due to the presence of too many small land parcels and thick urban development, it is taking time. The same land acquisition will be used for the construction of an elevated corridor from Thiruvanmiyur to the point beyond the RTO office,” said a former engineer.

K. Natarajan, a resident, said several accidents happen because of several intersection with interior roads. Steps must be taken to ensure that the vehicular traffic from the interior roads joins the highway in a smooth manner, he said.