The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is planning to prepare a detailed development plan (DDP) for the areas adjoining Outer Ring Road (ORR). The 62.3-km-long ORR connects NH 45 (GST Road) at Vandalur, NH 4 (GWT Road) at Nazarathpet, NH 205 (CTH Road) at Nemilicherry (Thiruninravur), NH 5 (GNT Road) at Nallur and TPP road at Minjur. Sources told Express that the Second Master Plan had identified areas along the ORR as potential areas for future growth.

The ORR was part of the recommendations of the First Master Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area, to ease traffic congestion in the city by connecting the NH in the Chennai Metropolitan Area.

It is believed that the DDP proposed by the CMDA would focus on the grid of roads, aiming at good connectivity to the outer ring road, inter linkages and future requirements of physical and social infrastructure.

Interestingly, the proposal also comes in the wake of the development of a passenger-cum-freight railway line, linking Ennore to Vandalur on the ORR stretch, which planners feel will generate interest among the real estate developers. Besides, the State Government is also planning to build an inter-city satellite bus terminal in Vandalur for South-bound buses.

The CMDA is likely to drop the plan to develop a detailed development plan for Ambattur, which it feels has already developed. Ambattur was among the five peri-urban areas, for which the CMDA planned to develop DDPs more than four years after the Second Master Plan came into being.

DDPs are prepared under Section 27 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act and the maps prepared show the ideal use of each piece of land in the area and guide infrastructure development by various department and agencies.