The ₹5,885-crore Chennai port to Maduravoyal elevated expressway project has attracted 13 bidders, including Afcons, Tata Projects and Kalpataru Power Transmission.
The project is being taken up in four sections with Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, J Kumar Infraprojects Projects being the only two to have bid for all the four, said sources.
The bids were opened on Thursday and the final bidders for each section will be selected in May or June.
The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowa on April 23 told newspersons in Chennai that work for the project would be awarded by June-end.
Shelved in 2009
The foundation stone for the stalled 19-km Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway was laid by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009 at a cost of ₹1,468 crore. However, the project had run into many controversies, and was finally shelved by the AIADMK government citing environment and alignment issues.
Revived
However, the project was revived when the DMK government returned to power two years ago with an MoU signed in May 2022 for the expressway at a cost of ₹5,885 crore. The MoU was signed among the four stakeholders — Tamil Nadu Government; National Highways Authority of India, the Chennai Port Authority and Indian Navy.
As per the revised plan, the 20.6 km corridor will be a double-decker one between Madurvoyal on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway and Napier Bridge, adjacent to Chennai port’s gate number in the heart of the city. The first tier of the corridor will facilitate movement of light motor vehicles between Koyambedu and Chennai Port, with ramps in 13 places – seven entries and six exits. The second tier has been designed only for heavy motor vehicles between Chennai Port and Maduravoyal.
The project will help in speedy movement of cargo in and out of the port. At present, trucks to and from the port ply through the port’s northern end in Royapuram. However, the elevated project will allow entry and exit through the port’s southern end in the heart of the city.
Four packages
Package I (0.342 km to 4.604 km) - bidders are Afcons Infrastructure, Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon, J Kumar Infraprojects, Tata Projects and Transrail Lighting Ltd.
Package II (4.604 km to 9,700 km) - the bidders are Afcons, Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon, G R Infraprojects, J Kumar Infraprojects, Ramalingam Construction Company and Transrail
Package III (9.700 km to 14.185 km) - the bidders are Afcons Infrastructure, Bridge and Roof Co India, G R Infraprojects, J Kumar Infraprojects, NCC Ltd, PandC Projects Pvt Ltd and Tata Projects.
Package IV (14.185 km to 20.223 km) - the bidders are Afcons Infrastructure, Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon, Eaglecon Heavy Works, J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, Kalpataru Power Transmission and PST Engineering Construction.