Work on construction of road overbridge which was progressing at a snail’s pace at the level crossing at Letchumanapatti on the Tiruchi -Pudukottai National Highway, has resumed, much to the relief of road users.
The entire work, a stretch of about 50 km, forms part of the widening of the Tiruchi – Karaikudi national highway, which commenced about about five years ago at an estimated outlay of ₹374 crore, under ‘Build operate transfer annuity’ scheme.
With a cumulative length of 108 km, this project between Tiruchi and Karaikudi entailed building of five bypass roads at Tiruchi, Keeranur, Pudukottai, Tirumayam and Karaikudi.
The project involved acquisition of land to an extent of about 421.5 hectares. Though work on widening the Tiruchi - Pudukottai segment was completed about a couple of years ago, a three-km stretch at Letchumanapatti was left out. The Southern Railway, on its part, had executed the bridge-part of the work.
K. Mohanraj, president of Pudukottai District Accident Prevention and Relief Association, has welcomed the resumption of the work. Frequent inspection by the railway authorities from the Madurai division had resulted in the speedy execution of the work.
The project, sanctioned under the National Highways Development Project Phase III A, also involved construction of a new bypass connecting three major national highways – the Tiruchi - Thanjavur NH 67; the Tiruchi – Pudukottai-Karaikudi NH 210; and the Tiruchi – Madurai NH 45B, all on the outskirts of Tiruchi, according to National Highways Authority of India sources.
The road overbridge is expected to be thrown open for public use in three or four months.
