Work will begin next month on the $311m (INR1,500 crore) Chennai Port-Maduravoyal toll highway in the Indian city of Chennai.

The 19km long four-lane highway will be the longest of its kind in the country and will run from the Cooum river to Koyambedu to Poonamallee High Road up to Maduravoyal.

Work will be carried out by Soma Enterprise on a Build-Operate-and-Transfer basis and is expected to finish in three years.

Once completed, the highway will reduce congestion on Poonamallee High Road as well as help speed up the movement of cargo from Chennai Port to other parts of the country through the golden quadrilateral corridor.