Reach Tirupati faster, safer with 4-lane road

CHENNAI: Pilgrims visiting Tirupati from the city would soon be able to reach there faster, and safer too, with the launch of the work to carry out four-laning of the Tiruvallur-Tirupati stretch of the Chennai Tirupathi road.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually laid the foundation stone for five National Highways projects and inaugurated three works costing Rs 3,260 crore located in various places in the State.

Among the projects was the alignment of the Thoppur Ghat section in the Dharmapuri-Salem section of NH44, which aims to alleviate the present difficulties faced by commuters due to existing steep gradients in the Ghat Section. The project envisages the construction of an elevated highway and improving the existing alignment at a cost of Rs 905 crore to facilitate safe travel through the Ghat area.

NHAI would also take up four-laning of the existing two-lane stretches from Tiruvallur to the Tamil Nadu/ Andhra border section for 44 km at Rs 1,376 crore. There are also widening to 4 lanes with paved shoulders of selected stretches of 48 km in the Coimbatore-Chidambaram section at Rs 275 crore, selected stretches of 43 km of Cuddalore-Virudhachalam road, the construction of additional bridge at Cuddalore Virudhachalam road), and a 4-km long Achambattu bypass at Rs 260 crore.

PM Modi also inaugurated the 10-km stretches of Coimbatore-Mettupalayam section, which were strengthened at Rs 23 cr, high-level bridge across the Thenpennai river in PuducherryNagapattinam section constructed at Rs 27 crore, flyover at Periyanaickenpalayam junction, Coimbatore constructed at Rs 99 crore.