The two flyovers proposed on Anna Salai with funds from the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) last year have been shelved.
The CMDA had sanctioned Rs.100 crore for the piling work of the project and the Highways Department was expected to start the work on the two facilities by August 2010.
The Highways department also conducted a traffic survey at eight traffic intersections after objections were raised over locating the elevated roads on a stretch where a Metro Rail corridor was already taking shape.
However, after repeated inter-departmental consultations, the last of which was conducted six months ago, the project has received no official go-ahead and has been dropped, a senior Highways Department official said.
One of the proposed flyovers was 1.9 km long between the P.Orr & Sons showroom and the Spencer Plaza junction.
The other flyover was proposed to be 2.9 km long, from Anna Arivalayam in Teynampet to the CIT Nagar First Main Road junction near Saidapet.
Since the flyovers were supposed to come above the underground metro rail tunnels, there was a narrow time window within which the piling work should have been completed.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited has already commenced soil testing work along Anna Salai.
Installation of the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) is under way and full-fledged underground tunnelling is expected to begin within six months.
In such a scenario, “it is too late” to implement the flyover project, a senior government official said.
