Solution to ‘Contain’ Truck Congestion

In a bid to reduce congestion along the stretch to Ennore Port, the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) and Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), in a joint venture, are planning to construct a container parking yard at Ernavoor, in between Kathivakkam High Road and Ennore High Road, on 28.68 acres of land at an approximate cost of Rs 100 crore.

The container parking yard will be located east of Ennore Thermal Power station with access through Kathivakkam High Road. The parking yard’s planned capacity will be for 1,000 container trucks. Once completed, container trucks that currently queue up on the main roads can be parked in the yard after the payment of the prescribed parking fees thereby reducing the blockage of traffic on main roads.

According to the terms of the joint venture, TNHB will give the land free of cost and CMDA will bear the construction of the container truck parking yard with all infrastructure facilities. “Once functional, the revenue earned would be shared between TNHB and CMDA based on an undisclosed ratio agreed upon,” a source added. CMDA has floated tenders calling for consultants to conduct a feasibility study for the project.

Solution to ‘Contain’ Truck Congestion

“The parking yard will be very useful to us once the container terminal becomes operational by early next year,” a Ennore Port official said. The project also comes at a time when the Tiruvottiyur Parking Yard for container lorries received a blow after the Madras High Court ordered the Tiruvottiyur Municipality to reconvey the land acquired 50 years ago to the land owners as it was not being put to use for which it was acquired.  The land was acquired in 1964 forthe purpose of drawing potable water through bore wells for the Thiruvottiyur Municipality area. However, the land had been left vacant till 2007 after which it was leased out to Chennai Port. An official said Chennai Port will be moving the Supreme Court as it has invested more than Rs 6 crore on the container parking yard.