Traffic congestion on the Tambaram-Perungalathur stretch of GST Road is expected to decrease significantly following the opening of the final arm of the Perungalathur Road Over Bridge (ROB) this Friday. The 250-metre-long, 15-metre-wide bidirectional section connects to the Tambaram Eastern Bypass on Gandhi Road and marks the completion of all six arms of the project.
The project faced a two-year delay due to a 33/11 kV electrical substation located on the construction path. The state highways department resolved the issue four months ago by paying Rs 32 crore to Tangedco to relocate the facility and acquire the necessary land. Officials confirmed that the new arm will be opened to the public on Friday without a formal inauguration ceremony.
This infrastructure addition allows motorists traveling from areas such as Mappedu, Thiruvanchery, and Tambaram to bypass the busy GST Road, providing a direct route toward Vandalur and Chengalpattu. Despite this progress, a senior highways official noted that a 750-metre stretch of Gandhi Road, which narrows from six lanes to two as it passes through a reserve forest, remains a bottleneck. A proposal to widen this section to six lanes has received approval from the Chengalpattu collector, which will eventually allow for seamless travel to Mappedu and Selaiyur.
Construction on the Rs 235-crore ROB project began in 2019 to replace the Level Crossing Gate 32 between the Tambaram and Vandalur railway stations. Previous phases saw the opening of various arms between September 2022 and August 2024. Local activist Dayanand Krishnan welcomed the development, noting that it eliminates the need for motorists to perform difficult U-turns near Hindu Mission College during peak travel periods. However, he cautioned that the Camp Road junction remains congested and urged authorities to expedite the forest land acquisition process to ensure the full benefits of the bypass are realized.
In a separate development, the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) has cancelled the tender for the detailed project report (DPR) regarding the fifth phase of the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR). The 27.4-km stretch, intended to connect Singaperumalkoil and Poonjeri at an estimated cost of Rs 750 crore, was halted on administrative grounds, according to a notification issued Wednesday. TNRDC officials have not provided further details regarding the cancellation.
