Rs 244.35 billion East Coast Road widening plan in Chennai

According to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the project to turn the East Coast Road from Mamallapuram to Kanyakumari into a four-lane highway will cost Rs 244.35 billion. However, the Tuticorin-Tiruchendur-Kanyakumari portion has been given to the state highways department for development by the Union ministry. The entire project road length is 697 kilometres.

Gadkari said that the stretch from Mamallapuram to Kanyakumari had been taken up for four-laning with divided carriageway, including construction of grade separators, flyovers, and vehicular underpasses, wherever required, based on a detailed project report study for seamless and safe movement of both vehicular and pedestrian movement. According to sources, the majority of the alignment’s length would travel through greenfield rather than upsetting the nearby communities.

The NHAI has set November of this year as the deadline for finishing the expansion of the Puducherry-Poondiyankuppam (Cuddalore) stretch, which is one of the eight sections. Up until February, the 38 km stretch has experienced 42% physical growth. The 31-kilometer Mamallapuram- Mugaiyur portion will be finished by May of next year. Along the 113-kilometer Poondiyankuppam- Sattanathapuram-Nagapattinam segment, work is moving along smoothly.

The Nagapattinam-Ramanathapuram-Tuticorin section of the project, for which the NHAI has requested bids to develop the 46 km of Marakkanam-Puducherry, is currently undergoing the preparation of a detailed project report, and is expected to be awarded in the upcoming fiscal year, according to sources. The Tuticorin-Tiruchendur-Kanyakumari segment project study was initially prepared by the NHAI. However later directives from the ministry resulted in the task being moved to the state highways' NH division.

The NHAI, the state government, and the consultant all signed a tripartite additional agreement on January 9. The state highways have sent a proposal for land purchase that includes the creation of exclusive units to carry out the job quickly. It hopes to complete the section by 2024. A top official of the state government assured that the NHAI would receive full backing from the government to finish the project. State roadways cover the portion of the ECR from Thiruvanmiyur to Mamallapuram.