NHAI unveils slew of projects to improve connectivity in southern districts

The southern districts have got a lot of attention in the recent days due to the proposed high profile projects like the Enayam port and the Kudankulam nuclear power plant expansion plans. Even at the Global Investors Meet held in 2015, Thoothukudi district had attracted the largest investment in the state to the tune of Rs 68,000 crore. 

One of the major hurdles discussed at all the industrial strategy meetings is the lack of proper road connectivity in southern districts. To overcome this problem, NHAI has proposed a series of road projects. 

A senior official attached to the NHAI claimed that an exclusive ring road for Madurai city had been planned. The road would be over a distance of 73 kilometres and the concurrence of the state government was awaited for this project. 

Another project would be four-laning of the Tirumangalam-Rajapalayam stretch of NH-208 for a distance of 76 kilometres. There is also proposal under consideration to extend the project up to Tenkasi. Similarly, the Madurai-Theni segment of NH-49 would be four-laned for a distance of 44 kilometres. 

Even the Kodai ghat road and Kodaikanal-Palani road up to the length of 42 kilometres would be widened and strengthened. The most important project would be under the Sagarmala project under which the entire stretch of the East Coast Road (ECR) from Chennai to Kanniyakumari for a distance of 600 km would have four lanes. 

Except the Nagapattinam-Pudhucherry stretch of NH-45 A which is already covered under NHDP scheme for four-laning, the entire stretch of ECR would be covered under the Sagarmala project, according to the official.