CMDA plans to integrate truck terminals and warehouses in ORR to increase efficiency of freight transport

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

In a bid to increase the efficiency of freight and commercial transport, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has proposed provision of truck terminals in the proximity of outer ring road and radial highways to be integrated with warehousing and container freight stations.

Senior planner of CMDA M Geetha told Express that CMDA has also proposed 12 roads for seamless freight movement, including Chennai Port-Ennore Port connectivity Road and Chennai Port – Maduravoyal elevated corridor. She said National Highway Authority is implementing the proposals.

Interestingly, work on Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor is being put on hold since April over the project’s alignment and National Highway Authority of India is to submit a technical report prepared by its consultant Wilbur Smith, according to the chief general manager of National Highway Authority (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) I G Reddy. The status of other proposals could not be confirmed.

Geetha said CMDA has also proposed provision of truck terminals in the proximity of outer ring road and radial highways with adequate parking and facilities and it could be preferably integrated with warehousing and container freight stations.

She said that CMDA has proposed truck terminals at 10 locations including Vandalur, Varadharajapuram, Karunakarancheri, Nallur, Madhavaram, Manali, Koyambedu, Maduravoyal, Manjambakkam and Annamedu. Some of the them are still at proposal stage and work has started in others. Currently, land acquisition is going on for building a terminal at Karunkarancheri, she said.

She said that during the year 2025-26, the freight traffic forecast is 87.11 million tonnes. Currently, only seven per cent is handled by rail and rest by the road.