Chennai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived on a visit to Tamil Nadu, inaugurated several development projects in the state here on Sunday.

He flagged off the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-1 extension from Washermanpet to Wimco Nagar, built at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore. The 9.05-km extension of Chennai Metro will connect North Chennai with the airport and Chennai Central Railway Station.

Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated the fourth railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu. The 22.1-km stretch, constructed at a cost of Rs 293.40 crore, that passes through Chennai and Thiruvallur districts. It will ease traffic in and around Chennai port. This section of the railway connects Chennai port and Ennore port.

Modi inaugurated the electrification of single-line railway section at Villupuram-Cuddalore-Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur. The electrification of this 228-km route, completed at a cost of Rs 423 crore, will ensure smooth traffic between Chennai Egmore and Kanyakumari without changing the traction. This will save fuel of about Rs 14.61 lakh per day.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for expansion, renovation and modernisation of the Grand Anicut Canal System here. This canal is very important for irrigation in the delta districts. The canal will be modernised at a cost of Rs 2,640 crore, which will increase the water carrying capacity in the canals.

Modi also laid the foundation stone of the Discovery Campus of IIT-Madras. The campus will be built at Thyyur near Chennai. In the first phase, construction of this campus to be built on an area of over 2 lakh square meters will cost Rs 1,000 crore.