TN govt clears ₹5,770-cr elevated road corridor

Tamil Nadu government has approved the redesigned ₹5,770-crore project to be funded by the NHAI through loans and contributions from Chennai port and the Tamil Nadu government. The elevated stretch is among a clutch of road projects that have been fast-tracked by the government. The Tamil Nadu highways department has proposed to upgrade State highways that connect pilgrimage centres and major trade and tourist centres into National Highways. The eight highways to be covered under the scheme are Thiruvannamalai-Kallakurichi, Vallioor-Tiruchendur, Palani-Dharapuram, Arcot-Tindivanam, Mettupalayam-Bhavani, Avinashi-Mettupalayam, Bhavani-Karur highway and a road that links Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar in Karnataka with Tamil Nadu border (till Mettur).

The State has 6,606 km of National Highways, of which 1,472 km are maintained by the National Highways wing of the State government and 5,134 km by the NHAI. The total length of the highways, including State highways, is 70,556 km. While the share of National Highways in Tamil Nadu highways is less than 10 per cent, more than 25 percent of commercial transportation in Tamil Nadu takes place on National Highways. As the number of vehicles increases, it is essential to convert major State highways into National Highways and upgrade roads and issues including transferring East Coast Road to the NHAI for widening are also being sorted out on a fast-tracked basis.