Work in progress on UT’s Rs.11,000cr NHs
Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said National Highway (NH) projects worth Rs.10,300 crore are in the pipeline out of the planned Rs.25,000 crore NHs for Puducherry https://www.conexpoconagg.com/.
Work on projects Rs.11,000 crore (200 km) is progressing while 85-km of NHs, costing Rs.3,100 crore, have been completed, he said on 13 Oct after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for 3 National Highway projects worth over Rs.2,000 crore in the Union Territory http://commerce.gov.in.
He listed the newly approved projects:
Four-lane elevated corridor (3 km) connecting Natesan Nagar to Marapalam Junction and four-lane Ariyankuppam to Mullodai section (13.5 km) at a total cost of Rs.650 crore;
Four-lane Marakkanam–Puducherry section of NH 332A (46 km) costing Rs.2,200 crore;
Six-lane elevated corridor from Madurai to Sriperumbudur on NH 48 (8 km) costing Rs.1,600 crore;
Strengthening of NH 32 section in Karaikal district (22 km) costing Rs.60 crore;
Six-lane elevated corridor from KCBT Bus Terminal to Mahindra City at Chengalpattu on NH 32 costing Rs.3,000 crore.
The Minister also announced Rs.100 crore under the Setu Bandhan Scheme for construction of small bridges.
He assured that all projects would maintain transparency, timeliness, and quality, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption and poor workmanship http://morth.nic.in.
Minister Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 3 National Highway projects worth over Rs.2,000 crore along with Lt. Governor of Puducherry K. Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N. Rangaswamy, Minister Dr. L. Murugan, State Ministers, Member of Parliaments, MLAs, and senior officials in Puducherry on 13 Oct.
He laid the foundation stone for construction of a 4-km elevated corridor between Indira Gandhi Square and Rajiv Gandhi Square on NH-32, improvements to the 14-km ECR Road on NH-332A, and the inauguration of the 38-km four-lane Puducherry–Poondiyankuppam section of NH-32.
These projects are designed to enhance road safety and ease traffic congestion within the urban stretch from Indira Gandhi Square to Rajiv Gandhi Square, reducing travel time from 35 minutes to just 10 minutes. They will also decongest Puducherry’s urban areas, resulting in significant fuel savings, reduced vehicular emissions, and lower operating costs https://www.nseindia.com/.
The improved road network will offer better connectivity for pilgrims visiting the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Natarajar Temple, Navagraha Temples, and Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Motorists travelling from Viluppuram towards Cuddalore, Chidambaram, and Nagapattinam will now be able to bypass the busy Puducherry town, saving approximately 50 minutes of travel time https://www.bseindia.com/.
Overall, these projects will provide a substantial boost to tourism and trade in the Union Territory, while ensuring seamless travel to key destinations such as Auroville and Pichavaram, thereby strengthening Puducherry’s position as a vibrant hub of culture, commerce, and connectivity.
India’s National Highway network has become one of the largest in the world, said the Minister, stressing the adopting innovation, science, technology, and best global practices, underscoring the philosophy that “no material is waste and no person is waste,” and announced initiatives to use municipal waste for road construction https://sbi.com.in/.
The Minister informed that 80 lakh tonnes of municipal waste have already been used in road projects, including in Delhi, where the height of the Ghazipur waste mound was reduced by 7 metres. He reiterated the government’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable infrastructure.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to create lakes using National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) resources, which help in water conservation and improve water storage capacity. Fiinews.com
