Karaikudi-Ramanathapuram H'way to be widened

In Tamil Nadu, work to widen the 80 km stretch of National Highway 210 between Karaikudi and Ramanathapuram to a four-lane width will begin soon and the National Highways Authority of India is set to float tenders for the road work. Officials concerned said a feasibility study was carried out in 2008 and tenders issued immediately. But NHAI said that it did not find contractors for the build-own-operate-transfer project. Contractors were apprehensive that the highway would not generate enough revenue from toll fees to be profitable, NHAI said. The highway has much thinner traffic than the 18,000 passenger car units per day minimum stipulated by NHAI for a road to be widened to four lanes, but the authority has decided to go ahead with the project nonetheless. Though there are few industries on the stretch, widening of the road will help pilgrims, NHAI said.