NHAI delivers Rs.5,916 cr coastal road project

In order to provide crucial road link to towns on the east coast corridor like Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi and Karaikal from Chennai and other parts of the state with a length of 180-km from Villupuram to Nagapattinam via Puducherry, NHAI in four packages has awarded the contracts of Rs.5,916.95 crore. The project is to be widened into four-lane under the Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I and NHDP Phase IV-A. NHAI had issued a letter of award to contract companies to execute the three packages involving four-laning of 123.8 km road from Villupuram to Sattanathapuram via Puducherry and Poondiyankuppam under Phase I of Bharatmala Pariyojana. The 55.56 km road widening works between Sattanathapuram and Nagapattinam, which is to be executed under NHDP Phase IV, is in the stage of floating of tender and the bidder is to be finalized shortly, said official sources that under the three packages – Villupuram-Puducherry (29 km), Puducherry-Poondiyankuppam (38 km) and Poondiyankuppam-Sattanathapuram (56.8 km) – the road is to be developed with rigid pavements with two carriageways on both sides along with service road and median. The concessionaires have to maintain the road for 17 years, including construction period of two years.