The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has granted approval for relaying the 125-km Tiruchi - Madurai national highway stretch, which caters to a heavy traffic volume.
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The NHAI’s Project Implementation Unit at Tiruchi on Tuesday received the approval from its headquarters for the relaying project to be executed at a cost of around ₹ 190 crore.
The NHAI Project Implementation Unit here had earlier prepared the estimate for the project and submitted to its headquarters seeking approval for the same. The NHAI headquarters had scrutinised the proposal and verified the technical aspects before granting approval.
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The NHAI headquarters would float a tender to identify the firm for executing the relaying works, a senior NHAI official told The Hindu. The re-laying is taken up periodically after a gap of five years. Further, the project is to be executed in view of the wear and tear on this busy stretch due to heavy vehicular movements, the official said.
The proposed relaying project is to be taken up under two heads: Highway Work and Road Safety Work. Milling of the existing bituminous surface, laying of dense dituminous macadam, laying of bituminous concrete, laying of mastic asphalt and paintings will be executed under the highway work.
The works to be taken up under Road Safety include providing road markings and road studs, installation of direction and informatory sign boards, hazard marker, provision of overhead gantry board and multi-colour LED blinkers. The Tiruchi - Madurai NH stretch is a crucial section connecting Chennai with Kanniyakumari down south. The stretch witnesses heavy volume of vehicular movements - both passenger and freight - all through the year necessitating periodical renewal works to ensure smooth ride for the vehicle users, said the official.
Amid increasing traffic volume, the NHAI has identified 17 accident-prone black spots along the Tiruchi - Madurai stretch. In an effort to curb accidents along the section, the organisation has planned construction of vehicular underpasses besides putting in place other measures such as junction improvements, construction of light vehicular underpass and laying of service road at the chosen locations.
Vehicular underpass are to come up at Dheeranmanagar, Munikoil and Karungalakudi, while Light Vehicular Underpass have been proposed at Sooriyampatti, Melapatchakudi, Kallupatti, Ayyapatti and Mukkan Bridge to Thalampadi cut road. Service roads have been planned in three locations, including Thumbaipatti.