The Padi road overbridge and a 1.1-km bottleneck on Chennai’s Inner Ring Road are expected to open in a widened configuration by January, after the State Highways Department completed 94% of its portion of a Rs 155-crore project aimed at easing congestion and improving road safety.
The project covers the existing three-lane road overbridge and the narrow approach roads between Padi junction and the bridge. The corridor currently narrows to two lanes near Padi railway station on the Villivakkam side before connecting to the Inner Ring Road’s wider dual five-lane configuration.
The Railways is widening the existing bridge on both sides and has reached the substructure stage, according to a senior Highways Department official cited by DT Next. The remaining road works will begin after the railway portion is completed. “We’ve completed 94% of the work. The railway work is at the substructure stage. Once it’s completed, the widened carriageway will be opened to traffic,” the official said.
Sharp curves near the bridge approach have made the stretch vulnerable to accidents, while the change in road width has contributed to traffic bottlenecks. The completed project is intended to bring the bridge and its approaches closer to the Inner Ring Road’s dual five-lane configuration.
The project also includes U-turn service roads beneath the bridge on the Padi and Red Hills sides. The State Government sanctioned Rs 14.5 crore for these service roads in July 2025. They are intended to allow residents of Villivakkam, Kolathur, Thathankuppam and nearby areas to cross between the two sides of the Inner Ring Road without travelling to the congested Korattur North junction.
The planned service roads will range from 354 metres to 424 metres, including 75-metre sections passing beneath the railway span. The design provides more than 5.5 metres of vertical clearance below the railway girders. Continuous footpaths are also planned along the service roads to improve pedestrian movement and safety.
The changes are expected to improve access to Korattur, Red Hills and nearby localities for residents currently dependent on longer routes for U-turn movements. Vehicles travelling towards the proposed Greater Chennai Corporation amusement park at Villivakkam tank will also be able to avoid the Korattur North signal for this manoeuvre.
The corridor is also used by industries including Wheels India, Lucas TVS and Sundaram Clayton. The Highways Department has said the widened road and revised turning arrangements will support smoother freight movement through the industrial corridor.
The widened carriageway will be opened to traffic after the railway work and the remaining road works are completed, with the project targeted for completion by January.
