The remaining work on the much-delayed Rs 1,815-crore Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway project may begin soon with the state Water Resources Department (WRD) asking NHAI to realign the expressway and proceed work.
In places such as Spurtank Road and downstream of Choolaimedu bridge, the WRD asked National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is implementing the project, to rectify the problem of an alignment change.
Following this, the NHAI may present the revised alignment before the high-level steering committee comprising representatives from six departments for approval. It must then be sent to the state government for a final nod before work is resumed.
Citing encroachment of the project on the waterway in some parts, the WRD had issued a ‘stop’ notice for work along the Cooum river in March 2012.
It is learnt that though the WRD had asked it to stop work on section-I (from Port to Koyambedu), work on section-II of the project (from Koyambedu to Maduravoyal) has also been put on hold.
As a result, the concessionaire has raised claims for idle machinery and sought compensation for the delay and escalation of prices of construction material. Media reports suggest that there would be at least a 10 per cent increase in project cost.
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