CHENNAI: Road and bridge development works of Rs.278 crore will be taken up in the tsunami-hit areas in the State during the current financial year, Minister for Highways Vellakoil M.P. Saminathan announced in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for the Highways Department, he said the works, including upgrading of 475 km of roads and 57 bridges, would be carried out with funds under the Rajiv Gandhi Tsunami Rehabilitation Project. These works would provide better connectivity in the coastal areas, he said. The link roads to be laid would enable people to move to safety in case of emergency.

The Government would soon decide on implementing the recommendations of an international agency on reorganising and modernising the Highways Department, besides setting goals for it. The recommendations include creation of a new post of Director-General to coordinate among chief engineers, and redistribution of field officers among various wings, Mr. Saminathan said.

The Government had also enhanced the powers of officers for technical endorsement and approval of tenders. A new post of Chief Engineer (Metro) would be created for the Chennai Metropolitan Development Plan, he said.

Among the special industrial corridors, under Milestone-I, road works for a length of 3 km had been completed on the IT Expressway from Madhya Kailash in Chennai to Siruseri on the city outskirts. "Works are in progress on the other stretches. Action has been taken up to speed up and complete the works this year," he said. The Government had earmarked Rs.70 crore for land acquisition and improving the road from Siruseri to Mamallapuram under phase-II of the IT Expressway.

As part of the road infrastructure development in the Oragadam Industrial Park, the Government had sanctioned Rs.300 crore to develop the 24.6 km Singaperumalkoil-Sriperumbudur road and 33.4 km Vandalur-Walajabad road.

The Wet Mix Macadam method would be used for widening State Highways and major district roads. This ensured road strength, besides being eco-friendly. The Government would introduce the geo-informatic system and quality control measures, and install flood gauges on either side of the bridges. The Government would re-classify 2000 km of district roads as major district roads, Mr. Saminathan said.

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