Full Breakdown
Car Plunges Into Sinkhole on Chennai’s IT Expressway
By Drooid · · How we work
Road Collapse Sends Vehicle Into a 10-Foot Crater
On October 8, 2026, a section of Rajiv Gandhi Salai (Old Mahabalipuram Road) near the Tidel Park complex gave way, creating a roughly 10-foot-deep sinkhole. A white compact SUV traveling toward the Tidel Park signal fell into the opening and overturned inside the crater. The driver, a 27-year-old man, and a 52-year-old female passenger escaped with minor injuries, aided by nearby traffic police and bystanders.
Background & Context
The collapse occurred on a busy IT corridor that is currently the focus of Chennai Metro Rail Limited’s (CMRL) Phase II tunnelling work from Thiruvanmiyur to Taramani. Similar road failures have been reported on the same stretch in 2025, when a sinking section caused a vehicle to fall into a six-foot-deep pit, injuring several occupants. The area’s infrastructure includes multiple underground utilities, such as sewage pipelines and water mains, which have been subject to relocation and repair in recent years.
Official Statements & Responses
- CMRL confirmed that a sinkhole appeared opposite the Elnet Building near the Bhavani tunnel-boring machine (Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)).
- An unnamed CMRL official explained that after the vehicle was lifted with a crane, the sinkhole was backfilled with cement concrete, followed by a steel sheet to restore the road surface.
- Police sources stated that traffic was immediately cordoned off, with diversions implemented and two-wheelers allowed through the narrowed carriageway while repair crews worked.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Tunnelling-related cause: CMRL and Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) officials attribute the collapse to disturbances from the ongoing metro tunnel, specifically a loss of pressure in the TBM that could have destabilized the overlying soil.
- Sewage-pipeline failure theory: Other officials, cited by news outlets, claim the failure of an old 2.2-metre prestressed cement-concrete sewage main located about three metres below the road caused soil erosion, leading to the surface collapse.
- No definitive forensic report has been released, and the technical inquiry remains open, leaving the precise trigger of the sinkhole unsettled.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don’t know what would have happened if we had still been inside when the car fell. It was an extremely traumatic experience. We escaped by just a few minutes. With roads being dug up at so many places, it is becoming very unsafe to travel,” — Ms. Veena. With
What’s Next
CMRL has indicated that once the concrete backfill settles, a steel sheet will be installed before traffic resumes. Ongoing monitoring of the tunnel’s face-support pressure and further inspection of underground utilities are part of the agency’s remedial plan. The Guindy Traffic Wing continues its investigation into the incident, and compensation for the vehicle’s damage has been promised by CMRL officials.