Edited by Deepali Verma
The Tiruchi-Chidambaram section of the National Highway 81 is set to go public fully by the end of January as work on the third and final stretch of the project between Meensuritti and Chidambaram is nearing completion.
The 134-km-long highway is being widened by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) estimating a close of nearly ₹4,000 crore, including the compensation paid for land acquisition.
The execution of the project by NHAI has been followed in three packages. The package-I spanned over the Tiruchi-Kallagam stretch, package-II was from Kallagam to Meensuritti while package-III covers the stretch between Meensuritti in Ariyalur district and Chidambaram in Cuddalore district.
The 39-km four-lane Tiruchi–Kallagam section and 60-km 4/2-lane Kallagam–Meensurutti section achieved completion and opened to traffic. They were formally dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in Tiruchi early this week.
Sources in NHAI voiced that nearly 97% of the work on the package is done for. The package stretches about 32 km, out of which over 25 km will be almost a greenfield stretch, with the Kattumannarkoil Combined Bypass forming part of it.
“The plan was to complete the work by October/November last year. However, the intervening rain brought about some delay. At present, some finishing work and curing remains, otherwise the work is almost complete. The stretch will be open to traffic before the end of January,” the sources said.
The completion of the project comes as a boon to travellers as the highway is supposed to connect the important tourism circuit of Tiruchi-Srirangam, Gangaikondacholapuram and Chidambaram or Thanjavur. The NH 81 connects the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway, Perambalur-Thanjavur-Manamadurai, Vikravandi-Kumbakonam and Villupuram-Puducherry-Nagapattinam highways. People of Tiruchi, Ariyalur and Cuddalore districts along with the industries located by the highway, particularly the cement manufacturing units in Ariyalur, stand to attract much benefit from the development of the highway, NHAI officials pointed out.
Popular attraction
About 50 km of the highway from Tiruchi to nearly Keezha Pazhur was widened to a four-lane road having carriage ways of 8.7 metres on each side. After this point, it is a double-lane highway with paved shoulders with a width of 10 metres. A massive flyover is also built near Samayapuram from where the highway takes off on the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway.
The stretch has gained popularity among motorists thanks to the quality of the road. It is also characterised by a series of bypasses that have come up at various places, such as Lalgudi-Poovalur, Keezha Pazhur, Mela Pazhur and Jayamkondam. On a substantial portion of the highway, cement roads have been constructed. Few places have seen the installation of speed display boards along with surveillance cameras at important stretches to monitor traffic incidents from the toll plazas.
