It will connect Karapakkam and Medavakkam via the Jaladampet lake

With hundreds of IT professionals using Rajiv Gandhi Salai, improving connectivity to the road has been a constant clamour from IT companies and residents of nearby areas. A new link road, 200-ft-wide, connecting Karapakkam and Medavakkam via the Jaladampet lake proposed in the CMDA's Second Master Plan is one such facility that will address their demand and also help ease congestion on Rajiv Gandhi Salai.

A.Anandan, a resident of Navalur said: “It takes about 45 minutes to cross the Sholinganallur junction during rush hour.

There was a proposal for a flyover at the junction… but I don't know what happened to it. If this new road is completed, it will help reduce traffic at the Sholinganallur junction as vehicles proceeding to and from Medavakkam, Jaladampet and Pallikaranai will use this facility.”

Already about 650 metres of the 4.5 km long new road has been laid inside the ELCOT SEZ at Karapakkam. “Many vehicles coming from the Medavakkam side take a short cut on the Medavakkam-Sholinganallur Road and come out onto Karapakkam using this road. However, only two wheelers are using it now,” said K.Elumalai, a resident of Okkiampet.

The National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) had also represented to State government to improve connectivity to Rajiv Gandhi Salai. “The connecting roads play a larger role in terms of bringing people to the IT Highway. This road would definitely help ease traffic,” said K.Purushothaman, Regional Director, NASSCOM.

South Chennai Member of Parliament Chitlapakkam C.Rajendran said he would urge the Highways Department to take up the project soon to help ease congestion on the IT Highway.

The Jaladampet Panchayat president Prema Sivalingam said that the new road would pass through several residential areas, including Padmavathy Nagar, thus affecting hundreds of residents.

“The land use is a mixed one. There are patta lands, poromboke lands and eri poromboke. If the road is laid, the State government must adequately compensate our residents,” she said.

Sources in the Highways Department said the cost of forming the road would be Rs.60 crore.

This included construction of a bridge over the Jaladampet lake, which has been encroached upon and a portion of which acts as a garbage dump. Land acquisition alone will cost Rs.300 crore, they said.