Work to widen the first batch of roads under the Chennai-Kanniyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) project is expected to commence by November. The total length of these roads will be 203 km.
Four roads connecting various towns including Vriddhachalam, Ulundurpet, Perambalur, Cheyyur and Polur are to be widened as part of efforts to to strengthen and widen 15 more roads to aid industrial development.
Sources in the Highways Department said these roads, which are of 7 m width would become 10 m wide and have hard shoulders to allow smoother movement of traffic, including heavy vehicles. The works are slated to be completed in 2-3 years. As regards the actual construction on 15 corridors, the tenders are in various stages. “Presently four bids are under scrutiny, five are to be opened in October and tenders are to be floated soon for another five,” the source explained.
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For land acquisition, of the 430 proposals the first notification is done for 419. Awards are being passed for 190 proposals.
The CKIC is being implemented in partnership with the Asian Development Bank as the second phase of the East Coast Economic Corridor.