EVR Periyar Salai (EVR High Road), earlier known as Poonamallee High Road (
NH 48
National Highway 48 (NH 48) is a National Highway of India that starts at Delhi and terminates at Chennai traversing through seven states of India. It has a total length of 2807 km (1744 miles). NH 48 passes through the states of Del ...
) and originally the Grand Western Trunk Road, is an arterial road in
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It is the longest road in Chennai. Running from east to west, the road starts at Muthuswamy Bridge near
Madras Medical College
Madras Medical College (MMC) is a public medical college located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established on 2 February 1835, it is the second oldest medical college in India, established after Calcutta Medical College.
History
The Governm ...
at
Park Town and ends near
Maduravoyal Junction
Maduravoyal Junction is an important junction in Chennai. It is located to the west of Koyambedu Junction at the intersection of National Highway 4 (India) (NH4) and Chennai Bypass.
Maduravoyal Grade Separator
A Cloverleaf interchange was constr ...
via
Kilpauk
Kilpauk is a semi residential area located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The distance from Chennai's city to Kilpauk is about 6 km. The region is situated off the Poonamallee High Road in the west. Adjacent areas of Kilpauk include Chetp ...
,
Aminjikarai
Aminjikarai, originally Amaindakarai, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The arterial Poonamallee High Road ( NH 4) runs through it. Aminjikarai was annexed to Madras District in the year 1946, and Arumbakkam an ...
,
Anna Nagar Arch,
Arumbakkam
Arumbakkam is a residential locality in Chennai.
The locality
Arumbakkam is notable for D G Vaishnav College. The Chennai Bottling Company (popularly known as the Gold Spot Company) was located here, which has now been converted into a car d ...
,
Koyambedu
Koyambedu is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India. Situated in the western part of Chennai city, the Koyambedu area has become a major hub of activity in Chennai City after the inauguration of the Koyambedu market in 1996 and the Chennai Mofussil ...
. It further continues west towards
Poonamallee
Poonamallee is suburb of Chennai, India under the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It was historically called ''Pushpagirimangalam'', later renamed in Tamil as ''Poovirundhavalli'' (), and now colloquially called as ''Poondhamalli''. It is a town in ...
and traverses
Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur is a town panchayat in the Kanchipuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 40 kilometers southwest of the capital city of Chennai on the National Highway 4 (India)(old numbering), National Highway 4 and i ...
,
Walajapet
Walajapet is a town or municipality and a part of Ranipet district in the state of Tamil Nadu. The streets in the town form a square shape which is a unique feature of the town. It will be easy for you to reach any part of the town with this ki ...
, and
Ranipet
Ranipet is a southern suburb of Chennai, India. Ranipet (lit. Queen's colony) is an industrial hub of Southern Chennai city in southern India. It is located about from the Chennai city center. It is a major industrial town located on NH 4 Che ...
.
The road, particularly along its eastern end, has some of the most impressive civic institutions and
heritage structures of the city, including the
Ripon Building
The Ripon Building is the seat and headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is an example of neoclassical architecture, a combination of Ionic and Corinthian styles. The Ripon Building is an all-white structur ...
(the seat of civic body), the
Victoria Public Hall
Victoria Public Hall, or the Town Hall, is a historical building in Chennai, named after Victoria, Empress of India. It is one of the finest examples of British architecture in Chennai and was built to commemorate the golden jubilee of Que ...
(the city's Town Hall), the
Central train station, the
Moore Market
The Chennai Suburban Terminal, or Moore Market Complex (station code: MASS), is a railway terminus cum commercial building complex for the Chennai Suburban Railway system, situated in Park Town, Chennai, Park Town in Chennai, India. The name ...
(razed in the late 20th century),
Madras Medical College
Madras Medical College (MMC) is a public medical college located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established on 2 February 1835, it is the second oldest medical college in India, established after Calcutta Medical College.
History
The Governm ...
, and
St Andrew's Kirk.
It connects two of the vital transport installations of the city, viz.
Chennai Central
Chennai Central (station code: MAS, short for ''Madras''), officially known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the busiest railway ...
railway station and the
CMBT
Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) (officially Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G.R. Bus Terminus) is a bus terminus located in Chennai, India, providing inter-state bus transport services. It is located on the inner-ring road (Jawaharlal Nehru Ro ...
. The road has more hospitals than any other roads in the city and is popularly known as the city's 'Med street'. The road is named after the noted Social activist and politician
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy.
History
The road was originally known as Grand Western Trunk (GWT) Road and was built in the 1850s by the then British government.
The road was numbered as
NH4 and was locally known as the Poonamallee High Road.
Originally built to connect
Fort St. George
Fort St. George (or historically, White Town) is a fortress in the coastal city of Chennai, India. Founded in 1639, it was the first English (later British) fortress in India. The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further ...
to a British military installation some 23 kilometers west of the city, it remained the city's longest road.
When the city of Madras became the most prominent port city, arterial roads emerged from the city's center traversing in all the three directions. The roads that traversed north, west and south were respectively named the Grand Northern Trunk (GNT) Road, the Grand Western Trunk (GWT) Road, and the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road. The GNT Road eventually became the Chennai–Kolkata Highway, the GWT Road became the Chennai–Mumbai Highway (NH4), and the GST Road became the Chennai–Kanyakumari Highway (NH45). The stretches of these road within the city came to be known as
Wall Tax Road, Poonamallee High Road, and
Mount Road
Anna Salai (), formerly known as St. Thomas Mount Road or simply Mount Road, is an arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George, leading in a south-westerly direction towards St. Thomas Mount, and end ...
, respectively.
The road
EVR Periyar Salai is wide in most stretches, except for the stretch between
Koyambedu
Koyambedu is a neighbourhood in Chennai, India. Situated in the western part of Chennai city, the Koyambedu area has become a major hub of activity in Chennai City after the inauguration of the Koyambedu market in 1996 and the Chennai Mofussil ...
and
Anna Nagar Arch, which has only four lanes. The width of the road varies from two to nine lanes or from . The road narrows at the stretches between
Ripon Building
The Ripon Building is the seat and headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is an example of neoclassical architecture, a combination of Ionic and Corinthian styles. The Ripon Building is an all-white structur ...
and
Government Fine Arts College,
Pachaiyappa's College
Pachaiyappa's College is one of the oldest educational institutions in Chennai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In addition, it is the first sole Indian college in Madras Presidency.
History
Pachaiyappa's College, Chennai is the resul ...
and Shenoy Nagar junction, and
DG Vaishnav College and Koyambedu. The road has not been widened since the 1980s.
The road is used by more than 185,000 vehicles every day. Heavy containers from and to the
Chennai Port
Chennai Port, formerly known as Madras Port, is the second largest container port of India, behind Mumbai's Nhava Sheva. The port is the largest one in the Bay of Bengal. It is the third-oldest port among the 13 major ports of India with offic ...
use this road at night, making it one of the heavily worn roads of the city and necessitating regular re-laying. As of 2008, about 11,000 passenger cars cross any given point of the road every hour. As of 2013, this has been projected to 19,000 passenger cars, more than five times the designed capacity of the road.
Bridges
![Southern Railway HQ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Southern_Railway_HQ.jpg)
In 2011, the bridge across
Cooum River
The Cooum river, or simply Koovam, is one of the shortest classified rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. This river is about in length, flowing in the city of Chennai (urban part) and the rest in rural part. The river is highly polluted ...
at Aminjikkarai was widened at a cost of 69 million.
In 2013, a new and wider bridge on the road across the Cooum river near
Ampa Skywalk
Ampa Skywalk is a shopping mall in Chennai, India. With three floors of retail space, it has outlets for major clothing and apparel brands, a seven-screen multiplex, a games zone and a food court.
Location
The mall is located at Aminjikarai on ...
was planned at an estimated cost of 80 million under the Chennai Metropolitan Development Programme (CMDP). The 47-m-long bridge with 10 lanes, which will be the third "high-level bridge" over the river, will be broader than the road with 6 lanes. The bridge, at road level, will be at a height of 9.5 m from the riverbed. The bridge will have the same design as the old one abutting it, with two abutments and two piers.
'Med street'
With several hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and diagnostic laboratories dotting its entire length, EVR Periyar Salai is often called Chennai's 'med street', similar to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
's
Harley Street. The establishment of two of the major government-run hospitals, the
Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital
Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital is a major state-owned hospital situated in Chennai, India. The hospital is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1664 by the British East India Company, it is the first moder ...
and the
Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital, remains a significant reason behind the road's morphing into a medical destination. The stretch is also home to Pandalai Nursing Home, one of the earliest private hospitals in the city, established in 1932, prior to which all hospitals were run by either the British or missionaries. Many private healthcare centres were opened since then, such as
B M Sundaravadanan Nursing Home in 1934 and Ramarau Polyclinic in 1938, which had one of the earliest X-ray units. The stretch also has about 25 standalone pharmacies.
Traffic
As of 2014, the arterial stretch carries around 250,000 vehicles a day, of which two-wheelers constituted 60 percent, cars 30 percent, and buses and other heavy vehicles the remaining.
Landmarks
Major landmarks dotting the road include the following:
*
Madras Medical College
Madras Medical College (MMC) is a public medical college located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established on 2 February 1835, it is the second oldest medical college in India, established after Calcutta Medical College.
History
The Governm ...
*
Southern Railway headquarters
*
Government General Hospital
Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital is a major state-owned hospital situated in Chennai, India. The hospital is funded and managed by the state government of Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1664 by the British East India Company, it is the first moder ...
*
Chennai Central railway station
Chennai Central (station code: MAS, short for ''Madras''), officially known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the busiest railway ...
*
Moore Market Complex
*
Chennai Park railway station
Chennai Park railway station (or just Park station) is one of the railway stations in Chennai, India, on the Chennai Beach– Chengelpet section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It serves the neighbourhood of Park Town, a suburb of Ch ...
*
Victoria Public Hall
Victoria Public Hall, or the Town Hall, is a historical building in Chennai, named after Victoria, Empress of India. It is one of the finest examples of British architecture in Chennai and was built to commemorate the golden jubilee of Que ...
*
Ripon Building
The Ripon Building is the seat and headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is an example of neoclassical architecture, a combination of Ionic and Corinthian styles. The Ripon Building is an all-white structur ...
* Siddique Sarai (built 1921)
*
Government Fine Arts College
*
Chennai Traffic Police Headquarters
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Tamil Nadu, the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and territories of India, Indian state. The largest city ...
*
St. Andrew's Church (built 1821)
*
Wesley Church
*
Nehru Park
*
Sangam Theatre Complex
*
Kumaran Hospital
*
Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital
*
Ega Theatre
*
Pachaiyappa's College
Pachaiyappa's College is one of the oldest educational institutions in Chennai, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. In addition, it is the first sole Indian college in Madras Presidency.
History
Pachaiyappa's College, Chennai is the resul ...
*
St. Georges Higher Secondary School
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...
*
Ampa Skywalk mall
*
Government Hospital of Indian Medicine
*
Anna Arch
Anna Nagar twin arches are ornamental twin arches located in Anna Nagar, Chennai, India. It was built on 1 January 1986 to commemorate the platinum jubilee of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu C. N. Annadurai. Located at the junction of P ...
*
Dwaraka Doss Goverdhan Doss Vaishnav College
*
Koyambedu grade separator
*
Rohini Theatre Complex
Rohini may refer to:
People
* Rohini (actress) (born 1969), Indian actress, screenwriter, and director
* Rohini (Buddha's disciple), female disciple
* Rohini (goddess), consort of Chandra
* Rohini (Krishna's wife), queen of Hindu god Krishna
* Roh ...
*
Maduravoyal grade separator
*
Sindhi College
*
ACS Medical College and Hospital
ACS or Acs may refer to:
Organizations and societies
* American Cancer Society, an American voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer
* American Ceramic Society, an American professional organization
* American Cheese Society ...
*
Saveetha Dental College
Widening
In May 2013, a 300-m stretch of the road at Shenoy Nagar near Aminjikarai which acted as a bottleneck was widened, following a Madras High Court ruling. Officials of the state highways department cleared the encroachments that had reduced the width of the road.
Future projects
In the early 2000s,
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), formerly known as the Madras Metropolitan Development Authority (MMDA), is the nodal planning agency of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The CMDA administers the Chennai Metropol ...
(CMDA) conceived an idea of a 6.5-km stretch connecting the two arterial stretches of Poonamallee High Road and
Anna Salai
Anna Salai (), formerly known as St. Thomas Mount Road or simply Mount Road, is an arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George, leading in a south-westerly direction towards St. Thomas Mount, and e ...
in the city. The idea is to create a traffic corridor connecting Anna Salai and Poonamallee High Road through the congested neighbourhoods of Chetpet, Nungambakkam and T. Nagar. In 2014, the Corporation modified the original alignment to create two corridors, namely, a 3.5-km stretch from Anna Salai to Mahalingapuram and a 3-km flyover connecting Thirumalai Pillai Road and Poonamallee High Road (covering five traffic bottlenecks in Chetpet junction, Sterling Road junction, Tank Bund Road junctions and Valluvar Kottam High Road junction).
In 2014, the highways department fixed the alignment of a 5.18-km-long, 4-laned elevated corridor that will take off at Raja Muthiah Salai, near Ripon Buildings, and descend near Pulla Reddy Avenue in
Shenoy Nagar. The project has been estimated to cost 4,500 million.
See also
*
Transport in Chennai
Transport in Chennai includes various modes of air, sea, road and rail transportation in the city and its suburbs. Chennai's economic development has been closely tied to its port and transport infrastructure, and it is considered one of the best ...
References
{{coord missing, Tamil Nadu
Roads in Chennai
Central business districts in India