Port road ready by next July

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The Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) will be completed by July next year, said Union shipping minister G. K. Vasan, after inspecting port-user roads on Monday.

He said the shipping ministry has already sanctioned Chennai Port Trust (CPT) and Ennore Port to release the money due for National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is executing the project.

“Thirty-five per cent of the project is over and we hope the rest of the work will be finished on time,” he said, adding that port users as well as the public should adjust till such time.

“When this work is completed, it will be a win-win situation for the government, port users and the public. We don’t want any delay in the project that is expected to ease congestion in North Chennai,” he noted.

“Since we don’t want hurt public sentiments, I have asked the port chairman to talk to the state government and expedite work related to relocating the Bhavani Amman temple and the fishing stalls. The port gave allotment letters to 84 fishing stalls on Saturday,” Mr Vasan said.

“We have to satisfy people. We have to rehabilitate them to proper places. It is difficult to remove encroachments and shift people. There is a lot of social and political bearing. We are trying to do everything as quickly as possible,” he said.

On the Tiruvottiyur trailer-parking yard, which can accommodate about 600 trailers at a time, CPT chairman Atulya Misra said the port would sign a lease with the corporation in a week.

“A tender has been finalised for paving the yard, building driver sheds and lighting facilities. The work will begin by mid-July,” he added.