NHAI unveils Rs.114 cr new NH project

Adding to the road network of the region, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has sent a proposal to the Central government seeking Rs.114 crore to lay a new road at Thoppur ghat section on Salem-Bangalore national highway. Thousands of vehicles, including trucks, use the 3.5 km stretch every day to reach Kerala via Coimbatore or Kanyakumari and is also a popular route to the northern and western parts of India. To check frequent accident incidents on the stretch, NHAI and the Dharmapuri district administration had jointly conducted a field study, which identified accident prone spots. The district administration then approached the forest department to allocate land to lay the new road, which will eliminate hairpin bends. The road will be 60 ft wide with centre median and will start from Kattamedu, the entry point of Thoppur ghat road and end at Thoppur village, said official sources.