The Tamil Nadu government has urged the Central Government to develop a 700-kilometre, eight-lane Chennai–Kanyakumari coastal corridor by widening the existing East Coast Road (ECR). The proposal aims to transform one of the state’s most important coastal highways into a high-capacity express corridor, improving connectivity between Chennai and the southern districts.
According to the proposal, the upgraded corridor is expected to reduce travel time by up to 40%, ease growing traffic congestion, and improve the movement of goods and passengers. The project would also strengthen access to major tourist destinations, ports, industrial zones, and coastal towns, providing a significant boost to economic development and tourism.
The East Coast Road has already been widened to four lanes in several stretches by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Tamil Nadu Highways Department. The state government has now requested the Centre to expand the entire route into an eight-lane corridor to meet future transportation demands and support long-term infrastructure growth.
If approved, the project would become one of Tamil Nadu’s largest highway infrastructure initiatives, improving connectivity from Chennai to Kanyakumari while enhancing freight movement, regional development, and road safety across the state’s eastern coastline.
News as Reported.
