Updated 27 October 2026. We read the tender reports, the government order that funded five Chennai DPRs and the earlier reporting on the route options. Below: what was tendered, the two routes under study, how this plan differs from the 2007, 2019 and 2024 versions, and what a home buyer in Mylapore, Santhome, Raja Annamalaipuram or Adyar should and should not read into it.

What exactly was tendered in October 2026?

  • Work: preparation of a DPR for an elevated corridor linking the Lighthouse with Thiru Vi Ka Bridge across the Adyar River (DT Next, 22 October 2026).
  • Length: about 4 km (DT Next; News Today, 22 October 2026). An earlier report in September described it as about 3.5 km (Verified.RealEstate, 9 September 2026); the DPR will fix the figure.
  • Study cost: ₹38.10 lakh, with 60 days to complete (DT Next; News Today). The minister had earlier put the DPR at ₹30 lakh (DT Next, 23 October 2026).
  • Tender terms: earnest money deposit of ₹29,500 by electronic bank guarantee, no tender fee, open to Class II contractors and above (News Today, 22 October 2026).
  • Stated purpose: to ease congestion on Marina Beach Road and Santhome High Road (DT Next, 22 and 23 October 2026).

Lighthouse–Adyar elevated corridor route: Santhome High Road or Loop Road?

The alignment is not final. Two options have been reported: one along Kamarajar Salai and Santhome High Road, and one along Pattinapakkam Loop Road (Verified.RealEstate, 9 September 2026). The government order that funded the study describes the corridor as running from Pattinapakkam via Loop Road to an Adyar landing near Malar Hospital (Construction World, 19 October 2026), while The Times of India and ET Infra headlined on 23 October that the flyover would come on Santhome High Road. DT Next (23 October 2026) says the government is exploring a route 'along the existing road' and that the proposed alignment passes through Pattinapakkam.

Our reading: until the DPR is accepted, treat both routes as live. The study's scope includes identifying the alignment, junction improvements, service roads, traffic, pedestrian, soil and drainage studies, utility mapping and an estimate of land and property impact (DT Next, 23 October 2026).

Is this a new project? The 2007, 2019 and 2024 versions

  • 2007: an elevated road from the Lighthouse to ECR near Kottivakkam via Loop Road and the Broken Bridge was proposed and later dropped (DT Next, 23 October 2026).
  • July 2019: an elevated corridor from the Lighthouse to Greams Road via Santhome High Road was announced (DT Next).
  • 2024: an alignment through the sea was explored (DT Next).
  • 18 August 2026: Highways and PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna announced the present study in the Assembly, citing congestion on Santhome High Road between Marina, Santhome, Raja Annamalaipuram and Adyar (DT Next).

Why now: the Pattinapakkam Secretariat proposal

The corridor has been linked to a proposed ₹1,200 crore Secretariat and Assembly complex at Foreshore Estate–Pattinapakkam, reported at about 20 lakh sq ft across 15 storeys on roughly 25 acres (Verified.RealEstate, 9 September 2026). DT Next (23 October 2026) reports that opposition from the local fishing community has left it unclear whether that site will go ahead, which could change the traffic case for the corridor.

The other four Chennai DPRs funded on 19 October

The same government order allotted about ₹98 lakh for five DPRs (Construction World, 19 October 2026). Besides the elevated corridor, they are:

  • An extension of one arm of the 1,720-metre Vyasarpadi Y-shaped road overbridge towards Madhavaram.
  • Widening of the Basin Bridge junction road overbridge linking Korukkupet, Vyasarpadi and Purasawalkam.
  • Widening of the six-lane Cooum bridge on the Thirumangalam–Koyambedu stretch of Inner Ring Road.
  • A new link road between Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR) and East Coast Road, alignment to be fixed in the DPR.

When will the Lighthouse–Adyar flyover be built?

No date exists. If a consultant is appointed in November, a 60-day DPR would land around January 2027 (our arithmetic). After that the government still has to accept the report, fix a cost, find funding, obtain any coastal clearances that apply to a Loop Road alignment and tender construction (Verified.RealEstate, 9 September 2026, lists coastal and environmental permissions among the issues). Anyone quoting a completion year today is guessing.

What it means for Mylapore, Santhome and Adyar property

This belt is already among Chennai's most expensive. Square Yards' asking-price pages put apartments in Adyar at about ₹19,850 per sq ft and in Besant Nagar at about ₹19,000 per sq ft (Dec 2025 quarter, listings including resale). A study tender does not change those numbers. What to keep in mind:

  • Homes directly on Santhome High Road or Loop Road could see years of construction disruption if either route is chosen, and possibly a ramp or pier at the gate. Homes a few streets back stand to gain the travel-time benefit without the construction phase.
  • Do not pay a premium for 'flyover connectivity' on a listing. There is no approved project yet.
  • If you are buying on either road, ask the seller or developer whether any land-acquisition or road-widening notice has been received for the plot. Today, none has been reported.
  • Recheck after the DPR: the final alignment and ramp locations are what matter for a specific address.

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