Bids for Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Corridor will open on April 27: Union Minister

Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said on April 27, the bids would open and the contract would be awarded shortly. “Once the construction of the elevated corridor is completed, you will see a lot of difference, and it will be a boon for the Chennai port,” he said.

The work on the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Elevated Corridor, coming up at a cost of ₹5,721 crore, will begin by the end of the year.

Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said on April 27, the bids would open and the contract would be awarded shortly. “Once the construction of the elevated corridor is completed, you will see a lot of difference, and it will be a boon for the Chennai port,” he said.

The Minister inaugurated four projects, valued at ₹148 crore, at the Chennai port and Kamarajar Port Limited on Sunday. These included the construction of a bunker berth (₹50 crore) and sewage treatment plant (₹92 crore) at the Chennai port, development of a goods shed facility at Jolarpet (₹5 crore) and widening and concreting of the access road to Kamarajar Port from Vallur Junction to NCTPS Junction (₹92 crore).

“These projects will enhance the efficiency of port operations and also the capacity of cargo handling. With respect to cargo handling, we expect that it will increase from from one million metric tonnes to seven million metric tonnes in the coming years. This is helping the growth of the national and State economies,” Mr. Sonowal added.

He noted that the first phase of the Multi-Modal Logistics Park at Mappedu, which is coming up at a cost of ₹349 crore, will be finished by June 2025. “India is in talks with Russia to open up the Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor, and with this, 5,600 nautical miles can be covered within 10-12 days, and there will also be a lot of opportunities emerging from this sea route,” the Minister added.

When asked about the definite need to improve the infrastructure around the cruise terminal at Chennai port, he said major players were keen on turning the port into a major hub and efforts for this were already under way.

“Based on the need, we will improve [the existing infrastructure] and also create additional facilities. We will take steps to transform it into one of the leading cruise terminals. All necessary facilities will be improved over time,” Mr. Sonowal said.