Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Major portion of four-laning work to be completed by year-end

TIRUCHI: A major portion of ongoing four-laning works on national highways in Tamil Nadu will be completed by December 31, said Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu here on Sunday.

Barring the Panangudi - Kanyakumari stretch, all the others that had been taken up for four-laning will be thrown open to traffic by the year-end, Mr. Baalu told reporters. Though there might be some delay in completing certain structures such as road over bridges (ROB), the thoroughfares would be opened for traffic.

Mr. Baalu said he had called for a meeting with railway officials in New Delhi on September 12 to discuss ways to expedite construction of ROBs on national highways that were being developed across the country.

He disclosed that under National Highways Development Programme NHDP IV-A, 1,232 km of national highways in the State would be developed as two-lane highways with paved shoulders.

Giving details about the highway development programme across the country, Mr. Baalu said the Golden Quadrilateral project had almost been completed except for 150 km. Under NHDP-III, over 12,100 km of national highways was being developed across the country and under NHDP-V, 6,500 km would developed into six-lane highways. Under NHDP-VI, 1,000 km of national highways would be developed as expressways across the country.

The Bangalore - Hosur section would be developed as an expressway in the State.

Mr. Baalu said expansion works currently under way in Turicorin, Chennai and Ennore ports, would be completed within the next two years.

A ‘dry port’ would be established at the culminating point of the Maduravoyil - Sriperambudur section, which is to be four-laned.

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