Under the new Chief Minister Road Development Scheme, the Tamil Nadu government will expand State roads of about 2,200 km into four-lane highways over 10 years, Minister for Highways E.V. Velu announced in the Assembly on Friday.
Mr. Velu said about 6,700-km roads would be expanded into two-lane roads under the new scheme. In the first phase, roads up to 250 km would be expanded into four-lane highways at a cost of ₹2,000 crore, and roads up to 600 km would be expanded into two-lane highways at a cost of ₹1,200 crore.
The government would construct high-level bridges across waterways in lieu of a total of 1,281 old causeways at a cost of ₹2,401 crore. In the first phase, 648 causeways would be replaced with high-level bridges at ₹609 crore, he said. It would undertake the laying of bypass roads in Sivaganga, Parthibanur, Kamuthi, Thiruthuraipoondi, Ambasamudram, Bhavani, Aruppukkottai (West) and Uthiramerur at a cost of ₹595 crore.
“To decongest vehicular traffic in Karur, works will be taken up to lay a bypass and a new link road,” Mr. Velu said. With loans from NABARD, 75 river bridges will be constructed at a cost of ₹425 crore to benefit over 15 lakh people in 558 villages across 16 districts, he said.
To reduce the number of accidents, works will be taken up at ₹200 crore under the Integrated Road Infrastructure Development Scheme and funds to the tune of ₹150 crore from the Road Safety Fund will be spent to improve accident-prone areas.
