CHENNAI, June 18: The first phase of the East Coast Road, stretching between Chennai and Cuddalore will be opened for traffic by October as the works along this stretch will be completed by September 30. Following this, work on the second phase of 375 km, connecting Cuddalore with Tuticorin though Nagapattinam, Muthupet, Sayalkudi and Thondi, would start by June 1998.