Assembly | State Highways Department to widen, upgrade road network; ring roads to be laid for towns in southern T.N.

Minister Velu announces major road network expansion and infrastructure development projects in Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports E.V. Velu said in the Assembly on Tuesday that over 200 km of road network will be widened into four lanes and 550 km of network into two lanes, under the Chief Minister’s Road Development Programme (CMRDP).

Initiating the discussion on demand for grants for his department in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, Mr. Velu said the project includes roads connecting Avinashi and Mettupalayam, Erode and Karur, and Ramanathapuram and Melur through Sivaganga. At a cost of ₹ 321 crore, the State Highways Department would lay ring roads bypassing towns such as Tenkasi, Arcot, Tirunelveli, Bodinayakanur and connecting Rajapalayam new bus stand and Government Hospital.

Further, the Minister announced the highways department would upgrade 600 km of panchayat roads and panchayat union roads to other district roads at ₹680 crore. Foot overbridges with escalator facilities would be constructed near Velachery railway station and in Koyambedu. To conserve Pallikaranai marshland, a detailed project report to construct an overbridge connecting Kamakshi Hospital and Thoraipakkam would be prepared. Further, his department is in talks with the Union government about the proposal to construct a road overbridge connecting Tambaram and Chengalpattu for 27 km.

To alleviate the problem of rainwater flowing over the causeways hindering the free flow of traffic across channels and rivers, the State Highways Department would convert 50 causeways into overbridges under the Chief Minister’s All Season Uninterrupted Connectivity Scheme at a cost of ₹200 crore. In the last three financial years, nearly 795 causeways had been converted into overbridges, he said.

To reduce fatal road accidents, the department would focus on identifying black spots and improving road junctions at a cost of ₹300 crore. Further, the highways department would prepare a detailed project report for connecting Manalmedu in Mayiladuthurai district with Sethiyathope in Cuddalore district. It would also take steps to plant tree saplings on either side of the highways to improve green cover.

Mr. Velu added the Public Works Department would renovate Kamarajar Memorial House in T.Nagar at ₹2.6 crore, the Madras Literary Society building on the DPI campus at ₹6.19 crore and Raja Desing and Ranibhai Memorial at 2.5 crore.