The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has submitted a Detailed Project Report to the Tamil Nadu government for an elevated road connecting the Tambaram–Porur Road with Chennai airport, proposing a new rear-side access route for passenger and cargo traffic.
The proposed corridor would cross the Adyar river and is intended to reduce the airport’s dependence on the GST Road, one of Chennai’s busiest arterial routes. AAI has said the alternative access could help passenger vehicles and freight traffic reach the airport more directly while easing congestion on the existing approach.
The proposal is linked to AAI’s plans for a fifth terminal at Chennai airport. The terminal is intended to increase the airport’s capacity and improve the use of remote bays. The expansion plan had remained pending for several years before being revived by AAI in 2024.
The additional access route is also being considered in response to operational difficulties faced by cargo vehicles using the airport’s main entrance. According to officials cited in the report, congestion and restrictions on the GST Road can delay freight vehicles arriving from different parts of Tamil Nadu.
The elevated crossing over the Adyar has been under consideration for some time. AAI had earlier commissioned a hydrological study from the Centre for Water Resources at Anna University after the State government sought an assessment of how the proposed structures could affect the river’s flow during normal conditions, the monsoon and flooding.
The study is significant because any road structure across the Adyar would need to account for the river’s changing flow conditions as well as the movement of vehicles between the airport and the wider road network. The DPR will now be examined by State authorities before the project can proceed towards implementation.
AAI has indicated that it is prepared to undertake the road project if the Tamil Nadu government grants the required approval. The submission therefore marks a shift from a long-discussed connectivity proposal to a formal examination process, but it does not yet represent final approval or the start of construction.
The development comes as AAI advances the wider expansion of Chennai airport, with the integrated Terminal 3 also nearing completion. If approved, the elevated link would provide another approach to the airport while supporting the planned terminal expansion and improving access for cargo vehicles that currently rely heavily on the GST Road.
The immediate next step is the State government’s examination of the DPR, including the proposed alignment and the implications of constructing the Adyar crossing.
