Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate several infrastructure projects, including the state-of-the-art integrated terminal building set up at a total outlay of Rs 2,437 crore at the Chennai airport, upon his arrival in the state on Saturday. Security has been beefed up across the city in view of the visit while motorists have been asked to plan ahead of their journey to reach their destination as elaborate traffic diversions have been made, police said. Following his arrival, Modi will open the new terminal, the first phase of which has been completed. It is expected to enhance the passenger traffic to 35 million per year. ”This will be an important addition to Chennai’s infrastructure. It will boost connectivity and also benefit the local economy,” Modi had said in a tweet. According to Chennai airport officials, the new integrated terminal is spread across 2.20 lakh sq metres and would cater to the growing air traffic in Tamil Nadu. The terminal is also a reflection of the government’s commitment towards providing high-quality infrastructure to travellers, they said. ”With the annual passenger handling capacity of 35 million passengers, the modern facility at the Chennai Airport will improve air travel experiences for all,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation said. The terminal is equipped with 108 immigration counters which are split equally between arrival and departure areas. It would significantly enhance the travel experience for passengers by expediting the transit process, it said. Besides the inauguration of the integrated new terminal, Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat train between Chennai and Coimbatore at the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M G R Central Railway Station here. Southern Railway has planned to operate the high-speed Vande Bharat express train between the two cities on all days except Wednesdays. The train would ply at a speed of 130 kmph reaching the destination on both sides in about 5.50 hours thereby saving 1.20 hours journey time compared to express trains, Southern Railway said. Later, Modi would take part in the 125th annual day celebrations of Ramakrishna Mutt at Vivekanandhar Illam on the arterial Kamarajar Salai (Beach Road) and also inaugurate infrastructure projects at Pallavaram.
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