CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu highways minister E V Velu made a slew of requests to Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkariincluding declaration of eight roads running for about 500kms as national highways, speedy implementation of proposed expansion, elevated corridors and half-ring road projects in the state. “The Union minister assured support to the state,” Velu told reporters in Delhi on Thursday. Velu met Gadkari on Wednesday night.
The eight roads are Tiruvannamalai-Kallakurichi, Vallioor-Tiruchendur, Kollegal-Hanur-MM Hills-Palar Road-TN border extended upto Mettur, Palani-Dharapuram, Arcot-Tindivanam, Mettupalayam-Bhavani, Avinashi-Mettupalayam and Bhavani-Karur. The roads connect significant pilgrimage centers like Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchendur and Palani and many trade / tourism centers, and a formal notification will help the roads get a new look.
Velu said that the state government had already made representations to the Centre. “Chief minister M K Stalin wrote a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard,” the minister said.
The state government reiterated its demand to remove the CHEW’s toll plazas which are either located in the municipal limits or just a few kilometres away — Chennasamudram (Walajah) and Nemmili (Sriperumbudur) on NH4, Vanagaram (Chennai), Surapattu (Chennai) on NH32 and Paranur (Chengalpet) on NH45, given the agitation of the locals.
The minister urged the Union government to speedily implement eight-laning of Chengalpet-Tindivanam section, elevated corridors between Madhavaram and the Outer Ring Road, Trichy-Thuvakudi, Tambaram-Chengalpet, and six-lane elevated corridor between Maduravoyal and Sriperumbudur on Wallajah-Poonamallee section, six-laning of Coimbatore-Sathyamangalam road and ring road projects in Coimbatore and Trichy.
“The projects are under various stages of preparation of a detailed project report and will be taken up based on the approvals and land acquisition process. It could be from the year 2023-24,” said a senior NHAI official.
With the Centre expressing concerns over the delay in NHAI projects in the state, Velu clarified to Gadkari that 90% of the pending clearances since the last regime had been sanctioned by the state government so far, including permission for burrow earth, clearances from forests department, shifting of power cables and transformers, clearances from water resources department and public works department for construction on water bodies. “We have held meetings at the level of chief secretary and highways secretary to resolve the issues with contractors. We are expediting the clearances and wanted the Centre to direct its contractors to speedily complete the work. A NHAI project between Tindivanam and Krishnagiri has been pending for more than a decade,” Velu said.
The eight roads are Tiruvannamalai-Kallakurichi, Vallioor-Tiruchendur, Kollegal-Hanur-MM Hills-Palar Road-TN border extended upto Mettur, Palani-Dharapuram, Arcot-Tindivanam, Mettupalayam-Bhavani, Avinashi-Mettupalayam and Bhavani-Karur. The roads connect significant pilgrimage centers like Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchendur and Palani and many trade / tourism centers, and a formal notification will help the roads get a new look.
Velu said that the state government had already made representations to the Centre. “Chief minister M K Stalin wrote a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard,” the minister said.
The state government reiterated its demand to remove the CHEW’s toll plazas which are either located in the municipal limits or just a few kilometres away — Chennasamudram (Walajah) and Nemmili (Sriperumbudur) on NH4, Vanagaram (Chennai), Surapattu (Chennai) on NH32 and Paranur (Chengalpet) on NH45, given the agitation of the locals.
The minister urged the Union government to speedily implement eight-laning of Chengalpet-Tindivanam section, elevated corridors between Madhavaram and the Outer Ring Road, Trichy-Thuvakudi, Tambaram-Chengalpet, and six-lane elevated corridor between Maduravoyal and Sriperumbudur on Wallajah-Poonamallee section, six-laning of Coimbatore-Sathyamangalam road and ring road projects in Coimbatore and Trichy.
“The projects are under various stages of preparation of a detailed project report and will be taken up based on the approvals and land acquisition process. It could be from the year 2023-24,” said a senior NHAI official.
With the Centre expressing concerns over the delay in NHAI projects in the state, Velu clarified to Gadkari that 90% of the pending clearances since the last regime had been sanctioned by the state government so far, including permission for burrow earth, clearances from forests department, shifting of power cables and transformers, clearances from water resources department and public works department for construction on water bodies. “We have held meetings at the level of chief secretary and highways secretary to resolve the issues with contractors. We are expediting the clearances and wanted the Centre to direct its contractors to speedily complete the work. A NHAI project between Tindivanam and Krishnagiri has been pending for more than a decade,” Velu said.