GST Road

 

GST Road or Grand Southern Trunk Road, also popularly called National Highway 45 (NH-45), is believed to be one of the busiest National Highways in southern India. It has a whopping length of 472 km, with a myriad of residential and commercial hubs spread along the stretch.

 

GST Road is considered a fleet of achievement, as it connects two very important cities of Tamil Nadu: Chennai and Trichy. Consequently, it is also called Chennai-Trichi Highway. It serves as an arterial road, connecting the heart of Chennai to its southern suburbs and Chennai International Airport situated in Meenambakkam.

 

Apart from serving as Chennai’s lifeline, GST Road is gaining ground as a supreme investment destination, especially in terms of investment in housing. The establishment of several MNCs along GST Road has led to an increasing traffic of IT population in the area, paving the way for rapid residential growth.

 

GST Road has been enjoying undivided attention from real estate enthusiasts, partially because of its resourceful social infrastructural development. The area hosts a legion of reputed schools, colleges, health-care institutes, and well-connected roads. The civic infrastructure throughout the stretch is also commendable, with a number of fully operational railway stations, bus stops, police stations, and post offices present in the area.

 

The stretch of road, which comprises localities like Guindy, Guduvancheri, Meenambakkam, Pallavaram, Chromepet, Tambaram, and Urapakkam, enjoys robust commercial infrastructure, with a throng of entertainment zones, cafes, hotels, restaurants, fitness centres, multi-branded apparel stores, and shops that cater to everyday needs.

 

Key Projects in GST Road : 

Mahindra Nova Apartment

Mahindra Iris Court

Mahindra Aqualily

Avigna Celeste Villas

Avigna Eminence

 

Connectivity and Transit Points

 

GST or Grand South Trunk Road plays a pivotal role in connecting many important localities of Chennai to each other, and also connects Chennai to other cities and towns like Trichy, Theni, and Dindigul. The elongated stretch of road brags of exceptional accessibility and one of the best transport infrastructure in Chennai, as it wallows in unmatchable connectivity via all modes of transport: road, rail, and air.

 

The important southern and southwestern lines of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network operate along this corridor. The southern line from St Thomas Mount to Villupuram and the southwestern line from St Thomas Mount to Chengalpattu runs along the highway. Several MTC buses also ply here, making stops in the surrounding localities.

 

GST Road enjoys the added advantage of proximity to Chennai International Airport, which enables both national and international travel.

 

Major Landmarks

 

●       Chennai International Airport

●       Madras Flying Club

●       Joggers Park

●       Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Telecom Training Centre

●       Mahindra World City

●       Shriram’s Gateway SEZ

●       Hindustan University

●       OTA Metro Station

●       Ashram Matriculation School

●       Phoenix Market City

 

Factors for Growth in the Past

 

With the inception of Mahindra World City, Infosys, and the Ford manufacturing plant, coupled with fruitful efforts from the Tamil Nadu government and favourable market sentiments, GST Road saw an initial fleet of development after the 1990s.

 

A part of the Golden Quadrilateral Highway Project, GST Road witnessed rapid growth, especially because of adequate connectivity. This eventually led to social infrastructural growth, and sparked investor interest in residential and commercial sectors.

 

The modernisation of Chennai International Airport along the GST Road, also contributed to the locality’s development.

 

Residential and Commercial Market

 

Residential Market Trends

 

As far as residential real estate is concerned, GST Road has great many residential property options to choose from. With projects in GST Road such as Akshaya Metropolis, Time Green Golden Paradise, Cynosure Extension, Mahindra Sylvan, and Artha Meadows spread along the stretch, the residential sector in this area enjoys great buyer and seller traffic.

 

While many localities falling along the GST Road stretch are developed, few other localities still have a wide scope of development, making residential plots and lands the predominant property type in the area. Apartments and independent houses come next.

 

The average rate for 2-3 BHK units range from Rs 2,900 per sq. ft. to Rs 3,600 per sq. ft. The residential plots in GST Road are priced economically, and sell at an average rate of Rs 740 per sq. ft. The average property price for apartments here is Rs 37 lakh, and the average price for residential plots is Rs 13 lakh.

 

Given the establishment of IT Parks around GST Road, the rent culture is prominent. Currently, the average rent rate for apartments is Rs 15 per sq. ft., whereas it is Rs 12 per sq. ft. for independent houses. The average rent for furnished apartments and independent houses in GST Road fall close to Rs 25,000 per month and Rs 27,000 per month, respectively.

 

Commercial Market Trends

 

The wide concentration of residential projects around the region has left room only for a small section of commercial establishments. However, different types of commercial properties like commercial plots, office spaces, and shops are available in the area. The average rate of commercial plots in the area is Rs 3,150 per sq. ft., and the average property price ranges from Rs 9 crore to Rs 27 crore. The average rate for an office and a shop is Rs 47 per sq. ft. and Rs 53 per sq. ft., respectively.

 

Major Challenges

 

A major connecting road, GST Road faces heavy commuter traffic during the day, and huge intercity lorry traffic during the night. The commuter traffic in the morning causes severe traffic congestion, especially in localities like Guindy, Pallavaram, Chromepet, Tambaram, and Guduvancheri. Fatal accidents are also common occurrences, especially during the midnight and dawn.

 

A lot of construction work around the region has contributed to excessive dust and noise pollution in the area. Many areas along the GST Road also face garbage disposal issues. Many of these interconnecting roads have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, causing inconvenience to the residents of the area and the passersby.

 

Factors for Growth in the Future

 

With a number of IT projects like Shriram’s Gateway SEZ and India Land Tech park lined up in the SEZ Corridor on GST Road, the region will see further developments in terms of social infrastructure around these SEZs, and will also invite more residential projects in GST Road.

 

With the establishment of upcoming and ongoing projects like Mahindra Iris Court, Mahindra Nova, CS Gateway, Avigna Celeste Phase-I, Lake Sterling, and Vivendi Nile Nahar, GST Road will see massive traffic of buyers and sellers.

 

Talks of constructing an elevated road between the Chennai Airport and Chengalpet are in play. If this comes through, the traffic on GST Road will be under control. Measures to circumvent the persistent traffic congestion issues are also being taken in the form of road-over-bridges and rail-over-bridges. This will help the commuters to cut travel time.

 

The onset of commercial developments like the upcoming Grand Souk Mall, considered to be Chennai’s largest multi-speciality mall, will spark GST Road’s commercial sector, and will thereby increase the realty demands in the area.