Much to the relief of travellers, especially those on religious tourism, the Highways Department is gearing up to widen East Coast Road (ECR) in Tuticorin district.
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The road widening project, to be taken up in four packages, would commence near Kamaraj College and proceed up to Periyathalai.
The first and the third packages would be taken up in the first phase, Collector M. Ravikumar said here on Monday.
It would be a four-way track from Kamaraj College to Muthaiyapuram on Tiruchendur Road. The first phase of 17.6 km, under package one, from Kamaraj College to Mukkani, would be executed at an estimated cost of Rs. 76 crore. The road would be widened from the existing seven metres to 10 metres for a distance of 6.7 km.
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, Administrative sanction had been accorded to execute this project. Once tenders were floated, work would be completed by the Highways Department in nine months.
The first phase work involves construction of one major bridge, a minor bridge and 24 culverts. As for the second phase under package three, the ECR would be widened for a distance of 20 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 71.9 crore. Under this phase, a high-level bridge would be constructed near Manapad, along with 22 culverts, the Collector said. Further, he said, five localities would gain access to the ECR. As for the second and the fourth packages of this project, land acquisition was in progress, Mr. Ravikumar added.