The plan to build a high-level steel flyover connecting East Coast Road (ECR) and Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) has received official clearance. The Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) has approved the construction of the flyover — estimated to cost ₹204 crore. According to the project details, the new bridge will link ECR and OMR over the canal at Neelankarai by extending the existing Pallavaram–Thoraipakkam 200-Foot Road. Since there currently is no proper connection between these two arterial roads over a stretch of approximately 11 kilometres, the new flyover is expected to fill a major gap in Chennai’s road network. Once completed, the flyover should significantly reduce travel time and ease traffic congestion for commuters travelling between ECR and OMR. As part of the approval conditions, the authorities have emphasised that the construction must not disturb the natural hydrology or water flow of the canal — ensuring that the bridge’s design and operation take environmental safeguards into account. This development comes amid several other large-scale road and flyover projects in Chennai intended to address traffic snarls along ECR and OMR corridors — including a long elevated corridor under development between Thiruvanmiyur and Uthandi. @@@