The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : NHAI all set to take up four-laning of Tiruchi-Madurai section

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

NHAI all set to take up four-laning of Tiruchi-Madurai section

Staff Reporter

Work on project likely to begin by July-end

TIRUCHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is all set to take up four-laning of the Tiruchi-Madurai National Highway (NH 45-B). The Rs. 524-crore project, tenders for which have been floated, is likely to begin by July-end. It is expected to be completed in 30 months.

The expansion and strengthening of the 125-km highway forming part of the Chennai-Tiruchi-Madurai four-laning project, would give a fillip to the economic growth and infrastructure development of the central and southern districts.

Informed sources said the NHAI decided to take up four-laning of the Tindivanam-Tiruchi section under the Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme. Given the heavy traffic load of about 20,000 to 25,000 passenger car units a day on this stretch, good response was anticipated for the contract from the private sector.

Work on the Tiruchi-Madurai section, which caters to around 15,000 to 20,000 passenger car units a day, would be taken up with NHAI funds. The international bid for the four-laning of the section would close on June 6. The work is expected to start within the next 45 days thereon. The contract would be awarded in two packages — from the Tiruchi bypass road (near Mannarpuram) to Thuvarankurichi and from Thuvarankurichi to Madurai.

Land acquisition

Land acquisition for the highway expansion was in advanced stages with required notifications under the National Highways rules having been issued. Only the disbursement of compensation was yet to be completed. This would, however, not be an impediment for starting the work, the sources said.

The NHAI was also keen on expediting the land acquisition for the four-laning of the Tindivanam-Tiruchi section. The four-laning of this stretch would entail an investment of about Rs. 1,200 crores. It would also involve construction of major bridges, including across the Cauvery and the Coleroon rivers. The Tiruchi-Madurai section would hardly have many major overbridges except for a couple across small rivers.

Once completed, a drive from Chennai to Madurai could take about seven hours. More significantly, it would also help bring down road mishaps in one of the highly accident-prone highway networks in the State.

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