Chennai’s IT industry needed a road that could carry the daily ambitions of hundreds of thousands of technology professionals, and the IT Expressway — officially named Rajiv Gandhi Salai and previously known simply as Old Mahabalipuram Road — became exactly that. Running southward from Madhya Kailash junction through the heart of Chennai’s software and services corridor toward the ancient temple town of Mahabalipuram, this road transformed a previously unremarkable southeastern Chennai arterial into one of the most commercially and professionally significant corridors in South India.
The name IT Expressway is informal but entirely accurate in its commercial description. The road is lined with the campuses of India’s largest technology companies — Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Cognizant, HCL — alongside Special Economic Zones, IT parks, and the residential townships that grew to house the workforce this concentration of technology employment generated. The Vivanta Chennai IT Expressway hotel, operated by Taj Hotels, near Sholinganallur is one of the most recognisable landmarks along this corridor and has lent its name to popular usage as a navigation reference point. The expressway is fully operational and has been since 2008, when the Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation began toll collection on the Phase 1 stretch.
Chennai IT Expressway Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Official Name | Rajiv Gandhi Salai (SH-49A) / IT Expressway |
| Popular Name | OMR — Old Mahabalipuram Road |
| Current Status | Fully Operational |
| Location | South-East Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Route | Madhya Kailash Junction, Chennai → Mahabalipuram, Chengalpattu District |
| Total Length | Approx. 43.7 km (Phase 1: 20 km; Phase 2: 23.7 km) |
| Lanes | 4–6 lanes |
| Speed Limit | 80 km/h (cars); 60 km/h (heavy vehicles) |
| Toll Fee (Cars) | ₹30 one-way; ₹60 return (Phase 1 stretch) |
| Monthly Pass (Cars) | ₹1,100 for 60 single trips |
| Daily Pass (Cars) | ₹100 (multiple entry, valid 24 hours) |
| Toll Collection | FASTag-enabled; Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) |
| Toll Validity Period | Until 2038 (fixed under Indian Tolls Act) |
| Governing Authority | Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation (TNRDC) |
| Nearest Airport | Chennai International Airport — Approx. 25 km |
| Key IT Landmarks | TIDEL Park, SIPCOT IT Park, Sholinganallur, Perungudi, Thoraipakkam |
| Notable Hotel | Vivanta Chennai IT Expressway (near Sholinganallur) |
Route and Location
The IT Expressway starts from Madhya Kailash Temple on Sardar Patel Road in south-east Chennai and terminates on the East Coast Road near Mahabalipuram. The road passes through some of Chennai’s most commercially significant IT zones — Perungudi, Sholinganallur, Thoraipakkam, Kelambakkam — before reaching the Thiruporur and Mahabalipuram zone at its southern terminus.
Phase 1 covers the 20-kilometre stretch from Madhya Kailash to just beyond Sholinganallur, which is the tolled section administered by TNRDC. Phase 2 extends the corridor further southward toward Mahabalipuram through the Kelambakkam and Thiruporur zones. The Vivanta Chennai IT Expressway hotel sits along Phase 1 near Sholinganallur, adjacent to the SIPCOT IT Park.
Length and Speed Limits
At 43.7 kilometres total, the IT Expressway is a medium-distance urban corridor. The 80 km/h limit for cars reflects the road’s semi-urban expressway character — it is not an open highway but it is significantly faster than Chennai’s internal arterials. Speed limits are reduced near the multiple junction crossings and IT park entry/exit points that punctuate the corridor’s Phase 1 stretch.
Toll Fee
Single way charges for cars are ₹30, for three-wheelers ₹10, and for light commercial vehicles ₹49. Monthly pass for cars allowing 60 single trips is priced at ₹1,100. Round trips are priced at ₹60 for cars. Daily pass for cars is ₹100. The toll rates are fixed for a period of 30 years from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2036, with 10% increase every two years.
Connectivity
The expressway connects to the East Coast Road at its southern end — the scenic coastal highway heading toward Pondicherry — and to Chennai’s inner road network at Madhya Kailash. The Chennai Metro’s Green Line extension toward OMR has been planned to bring rail connectivity to this corridor, which currently relies on MRTS and bus services for public transport.
Nearby Areas
TIDEL Park and Perungudi: Chennai’s first major IT SEZ, TIDEL Park at the northern end of the expressway was the catalyst that established OMR’s IT identity. Sholinganallur: The commercial and residential hub midway along the expressway houses the Vivanta hotel, D-Mart, and the residential townships that house the IT corridor’s workforce. Mahabalipuram: The UNESCO World Heritage site of rock-cut Pallava temples at the expressway’s southern end adds a heritage tourism dimension to a road otherwise entirely defined by its technology industry character.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the Chennai IT Expressway and where is it located?
It is the Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR), a 43.7 km road running from Madhya Kailash in Chennai to Mahabalipuram — fully operational since 2008.
Q2. What is the toll fee on the Chennai IT Expressway?
₹30 one-way for cars, ₹60 return. Monthly pass ₹1,100 for 60 trips. FASTag accepted.
Q3. Is the Vivanta Chennai IT Expressway the expressway itself?
No — Vivanta Chennai IT Expressway is a Taj Hotels property located on the IT Expressway near Sholinganallur. The road itself is called Rajiv Gandhi Salai or OMR.
Q4. What is the speed limit on the Chennai IT Expressway?
80 km/h for cars, 60 km/h for heavy vehicles.
Q5. Until when will toll be collected on the Chennai IT Expressway?
Toll collection will continue until 2038 under the 30-year agreement from 2006.