Financial allocation under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP) for Tiruchi district has been doubled this year and the State Highways Department would take up improvement works in a stretch of about 353 km of roads in the district under the programme.
The State government has allotted Rs.80 crore for the district under CRIDP this financial year, against the normal annual allocations of less than Rs.40 crore received so far, sources in the Highways Department told The Hindu .
Utilising the funds, various roads stretches to a total length of about 76 km would be widened. This apart, improvement works on roads for a length of about 272 km would also be taken up.
Prominent among the roads that are to be improved include the Tiruchi-Musiri-Namakkal Highway, which is prone to suffer damages frequently owing to the heavy movement of lorries transporting sand from the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers. Various stretches of the roads, which have not been repaired or re-laid over the past five years, would be re-laid under the project now. The road stretches which are being improved now would be re-laid to National Highways standards, in view of the huge volume of traffic on the road, especially the sand-laden lorries. According to the sources, a proposal for widening the Tiruchi-Musiri-Namakkal highway that runs along the banks of the River Cauvery from the present width of seven metres to 10 metres has been forwarded to the government.
Apart from Tiruchi-Musiri road, various sections of different roads including the Tiruchi-Thuraiyur Road, the Thuraiyur-Athur Road, Tiruchi-Kuzhumani-Jeeyapuram Road, Kulathur-Viralimalai Road, Samayapuram-Tirupainjeeli Road and Musiri-Erakudi-Thathaiyengarpet Road would be improved under the CRIDP this year. The Samayapuram Road, off the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway, would also be developed.
The Highways Department has already commenced work on widening and developing the Thanjavur Road, along the Gandhi Market in the city. The work has been taken up at an estimate of about Rs.1 crore, also under the CRIDP.
All works sanctioned under the programme would be completed by March, department sources said. Works, which are yet to commence on account of the recent rain, would start over the next few days, they added.
