Highway Works Worsen Traffic Woes On Thoppur Ghat Road

16 Jun 2026 CW Team

Ongoing construction of an elevated highway has exacerbated traffic congestion on the Thoppur ghat road in Dharmapuri, where the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has previously designated the stretch as a black spot. Temporary detours were established to maintain vehicular flow but motorists report that these alternative routes are too narrow to allow smooth movement, particularly for heavy vehicles.

The corridor has experienced 35 accidents this year with seven fatalities and 30 injuries, and property loss running into several crore. The elevated highway was proposed at Rs 9.05 bn and is intended to improve safety and capacity on the slope, yet the scale of construction has led to significant disruption during works.

Local residents and drivers state that the ghat road carries 30,000 to 40,000 vehicles each day and that narrow mud-based temporary roads force heavy vehicles to slow, producing long tailbacks. Motorists and business owners argue that widening the temporary lanes where feasible would ease movement and reduce the frequency of lengthy jams that have affected travel times and logistics on the route.

Engineers from the National Highways Authority of India explain that the project requires the installation of 80 pillars, the largest of which will reach about 50 metres in height, and that construction needs extensive space. They note that in several sections expansion is constrained by forest and revenue land and that increasing work areas there would worsen traffic, adding that the project has been assessed in detail and is scheduled for completion by March 2028.

Until the highway is finished, residents and transport operators expect ongoing disruption and urge interim measures to improve the temporary corridors where possible. Local authorities and the project agency face the task of balancing construction requirements with traffic management to limit the impact on daily commuters and freight movements.

Infrastructure Urban

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