The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has floated a tender for the long-awaited Tiruvannamalai bypass, valued at Rs 6.2328 billion (bn). The project is planned as a 22.71-km four-lane access-controlled corridor that aims to ease congestion in the temple town and strengthen connectivity on NH-38. The tender calls for an engineering, procurement and construction contract with detailed specifications and a prescribed completion timeline to ensure timely delivery. The proposed bypass will originate near Velakkandal on NH-234, now renumbered as NH-38, and will terminate near Endal while skirting Tiruvannamalai town to reduce through traffic in urban stretches. Of the total 22.71-km length, about 13.1 km will be developed on a new greenfield alignment and the remaining 9.6 km will involve upgrading the existing NH-77 corridor. This mix of new alignment and upgradation has been designed to limit the extent of fresh land acquisition while delivering a faster route for long-distance traffic. Designed as an access-controlled corridor, the bypass will permit entry and exit only through designated interchanges, slip roads and service roads, thereby separating long-distance movement from local traffic. The scheme includes over 25 km of service roads and more than six km of slip roads to provide local connectivity, and the alignment will intersect NH-77 and State Highways 236, six, 9A and nine. Three flyovers are proposed, including at the Velakkandal starting point, the Endal terminal junction with NH-38 and at the junction with NH-77, to facilitate uninterrupted traffic flow. In addition, five vehicular underpasses and five light vehicle underpasses have been planned at key locations to preserve local access without disrupting through traffic. The project does not involve major bridges or railway overbridges, but it provides for reconstruction or widening of four minor bridges and the widening of 19 culverts along the existing stretch. Execution will be under the engineering, procurement and construction mode with a construction period of 24 months and a maintenance obligation on the contractor for 10 years after completion. Once operational, the bypass is expected to divert heavy and pilgrim traffic away from Tiruvannamalai, reducing congestion on the NH-38 corridor and improving travel reliability for long-distance and local users.