Coimbatore: The National Highways (NH) will not take over any of the State highways until improvement to 65,569 km of NH is achieved, the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, T.R. Baalu, said here on Friday.

Efforts were on to widen, strengthen and upgrade these highways in seven years at an estimated outlay of Rs 1.72 lakh crore.

Talking to reporters, he said that though this portion worked out to just two per cent of the total road length in the country, it took 40 per cent of the traffic. While 35 per cent of these highways were single lane, 53 per cent were double lane and only 12 per cent four lane.

His Ministry was planning to widen, strengthen and upgrade all these stretches into two-lane and four-lane roads.

In Tamil Nadu, there were 22 National Highways accounting for 4,612 km.

Widening, strengthening, and upgrading of 3,300 km length into four lane roads had been in progress for the last one-and-a-half years.

The much-awaited strengthening of and improvements to GST Road (NH 45) between Tindivanam-Tiruchi would commence on March 2 at an estimated outlay of Rs. 1,500 crore.

Under the programme for development of roads connecting port towns, a Rs. 200-crore project to develop the Madurai-Aruppukottai-Tuticorin road would commence on February 25.

The projects were accelerated to 4.55 km a day from 1.86 km a day, he said. For 22 National Highways in the State, 38 bypass roads would come up.

The National Highways had so far sanctioned Rs. 133 crore for improving rain-battered roads, he said.

Neglected stretches

To a query on the neglected stretches of Tiruchi Road (between Bypass Road and Stock Exchange) and the Mettuppalayam Road in Coimbatore, the Minister said tenders were opened on Friday and efforts would be taken to make these stretches motorable at the earliest.

Patchworks would be done at a cost of Rs 7.62 crore on Mettuppalayam Road, Mr.Baalu said.

Reacting to a charge of the Chief Minister that during his tenure as the Union Minister for Environment and Forests he blocked the Pykara power project, he said the Supreme Court in a case (number 202/96) had made certain observations on according environmental clearance for projects.

His Ministry raised certain queries in this regard and the State Government never responded till he relinquished office.

Mr.Baalu said he had given clearance for 142 environment projects and for 26 forest projects worth Rs. 26,210 crores, including for the Kolli Hills. Instead of making sweeping charges, he wanted the Chief Minister to file a case against him if her charges against him were true.

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