Work on 15.3-km stretch expected to start in 2021; to be built on GST Road

Thousands of commuters from areas such as Tambaram and Chromepet to the city can rejoice as Chennai Metro will soon start work on a connection from Airport to Kilambakkam. Construction is expected to get under way in 2021, according to sources.

The sources told The Hindu that Chennai Metro has already submitted the feasibility report for this stretch and will now start work on the detailed project report. “It will take about 10-12 months to finish the report, after which the project can begin immediately because there is a lot of demand in that stretch,” a source said.

The Airport to Kilambakkam stretch will be 15.3-km long, with around 13 stations. This will be built entirely on GST Road as an elevated stretch, the sources said. “The reason for choosing to build it as an elevated stretch is, it is faster to construct than an underground stretch and cheaper too,” he added.

This stretch is likely to draw a lot of commuters to Chennai Metro because it is very close to hubs such as Accenture, Vandalur Zoo and the proposed Kilambakkam bus stand, another official said. Also, lakhs of people come to the city from Chromepet and Tambaram on work. “Now, quite of lot of them take the feeder service to Chennai Airport Metro station and take a train to the city to go to their workplace. But when this facility is implemented, it will be convenient and most people will be give up their private vehicle,” he said.