‘Feasibility study will also assess potential hurdles’

Unlike expressways or elevated corridors that require huge land parcels, which may result in the displacement of local fishing communities, the sea bridge would require minimal land for ramp access at junctions. The last such proposal, a Rs 1,000-crore elevated expressway from Marina Beach to Kottivakkam, was abandoned in 2012.

Officials have indicated that the project may be executed in multiple phases. “Previous plans for elevated expressways were not implemented primarily due to land acquisition challenges and the problem of likely displacement of hundreds of fishermen. The feasibility study will also assess other potential hurdles,” an official said.

Additionally, TNSHA will prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a Tiruppur city bypass, a critical textile hub, and a link road connecting Thoothukudi Airport to Madurai Road.

Meanwhile, the state highways department is already constructing a 133-km, six-lane, access-controlled Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (CPRR) from Ennore to Poonjeri at a cost of D16,500 crore.

This project, which passes through Thatchur, Tiruvallur Bypass, Sriperumbudur, and SP Koil, will allow the movement of goods from Thoothukudi and other southern regions to Ennore, Kattupalli ports, and Andhra Pradesh without entering Chennai City.

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