NHAI stops the Ranipet-Walajapet road expansion

30 May 2024 CW Team

The Chennai-Bengaluru highway's Ranipet-Walajapet segment was supposed to be widened into six lanes; however, for "administrative reasons," the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) withdrew the tender. A record eighteen times, the tender was postponed. This 28-Km stretch, which passes through Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, is an essential route between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Rs 9.80 billion project makes it easier for drivers from Arani and Tiruvannamalai to visit Bengaluru by shortening the truck route from Ranipet SIPCOT to Chittoor. It's also a major route for trucks carrying large cargoes exiting ports in Chennai.

The project has been in the bidding stage as it awaits clearance under the Union government's Gati Sakthi programme. It was originally planned for enlargement two years ago. But the Union Ministry of Road Transport has not yet accorded administrative sanction, leaving the road to function as a four-lane highway until a new proposal is formulated.

There is also unfinished business related to the ongoing road extension along the Sriperumbudur-Krishnagiri segment of the present Chennai-Bengaluru highway (NH-48). There are around 20 spots along the Sriperumbudur-Ranipet section where overbridge work is underway, making the route dangerous. "Many drivers brake abruptly at diversion points due to inadequate barricades and reflective stickers, which frequently results in accidents." When it rains, streetlights and high tower lights at many crossroads become inoperable, making driving at night like riding on a death trap, according to G. Ganesh, who makes the trip to his Bengaluru home virtually every weekend. Over 520 accidents have been reported on the roadway in the previous five years, according to government data. The service road, which is used by buses, private vehicles, and large trucks, is poorly maintained with potholes and is not re-laid frequently.

Millions of toll dollars are still collected by NHAI, but not much of it is used to maintain the route. Delays were first ascribed to disagreements between contractors and NHAI as well as a lack of building supplies. The agency has now refrained from commenting on the anticipated completion date of the project.

The Chennai-Bengaluru highway's Ranipet-Walajapet segment was supposed to be widened into six lanes; however, for administrative reasons, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) withdrew the tender. A record eighteen times, the tender was postponed. This 28-Km stretch, which passes through Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, is an essential route between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Rs 9.80 billion project makes it easier for drivers from Arani and Tiruvannamalai to visit Bengaluru by shortening the truck route from Ranipet SIPCOT to Chittoor. It's also a major route for trucks carrying large cargoes exiting ports in Chennai. The project has been in the bidding stage as it awaits clearance under the Union government's Gati Sakthi programme. It was originally planned for enlargement two years ago. But the Union Ministry of Road Transport has not yet accorded administrative sanction, leaving the road to function as a four-lane highway until a new proposal is formulated. There is also unfinished business related to the ongoing road extension along the Sriperumbudur-Krishnagiri segment of the present Chennai-Bengaluru highway (NH-48). There are around 20 spots along the Sriperumbudur-Ranipet section where overbridge work is underway, making the route dangerous. Many drivers brake abruptly at diversion points due to inadequate barricades and reflective stickers, which frequently results in accidents. When it rains, streetlights and high tower lights at many crossroads become inoperable, making driving at night like riding on a death trap, according to G. Ganesh, who makes the trip to his Bengaluru home virtually every weekend. Over 520 accidents have been reported on the roadway in the previous five years, according to government data. The service road, which is used by buses, private vehicles, and large trucks, is poorly maintained with potholes and is not re-laid frequently. Millions of toll dollars are still collected by NHAI, but not much of it is used to maintain the route. Delays were first ascribed to disagreements between contractors and NHAI as well as a lack of building supplies. The agency has now refrained from commenting on the anticipated completion date of the project.

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