Chennai: U-turn service roads to ease congestion on Inner Ring Road near Padi ROB
The U-turn facility will be built on the IRR at a location between Villivakkam and Korattur railway stations
CHENNAI: The State Highways Department will soon begin work on providing U-turn service roads on both Padi and Korattur sides beneath the existing road overbridge on the Inner Ring Road (IRR), known as Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents.
The U-turn facility will be built on the IRR at a location between Villivakkam and Korattur railway stations. Highway department officials said the new service roads would enable residents of Villivakkam, Kolathur, Thathankuppam, and nearby areas on the right side of the IRR to access Korattur, Red Hills and other localities on the left side without having to negotiate the congested Korattur North junction.
Vehicles heading towards the Greater Chennai Corporation’s proposed amusement park at Villivakkam tank would also benefit, as they would no longer need to travel up to the Korattur North signal to take a U-turn.
Officials added that the facility will eliminate the Korattur North signal, enabling uninterrupted traffic flow along the IRR and preventing encroachments on highway land. Industries in the area, including Wheels India, Lucas TVS and Sundaram Clayton, are also expected to gain from smoother freight movement once the project is completed.
The project is an extension of an earlier government order issued on August 3, 2022, to widen the existing ROB and upgrade the IRR to a dual five-lane carriageway under the Comprehensive Traffic and Transportation Study. Highway engineers estimate that about five per cent of the 24,299 commercial vehicles counted in a traffic census conducted in December 2022 will use the U-turn daily.
On the Padi side, a 374-metre service road is planned on the left and a 424-metre stretch on the right, with a 75-metre section running under the railway span. On the Red Hills side, service roads of about 364 metres (left) and 354 metres (right) are proposed, also with a 75-metre underpass. The design ensures a vertical clearance of more than 5.5 metres beneath the railway girders.
After the State government accorded administrative sanction of Rs 14.5 crore through a government order dated July 24, 2025, the department has floated a tender for the construction of the U-turn service road. The project was originally announced in the 2025–26 Budget by the Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports.
