Latest news with #StateHighwaysDepartment
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Continuing accidents turn the spotlight on greenfield project plan for Tiruchi-Karur Highway
The road accident causing the death of the Revenue Divisional Officer of Musiri on the Tiruchi-Karur Highway on Thursday has brought to the fore the demand for building a greenfield highway between the two cities. Activists have expressed concern that there was no sign of accidents coming down even after the State Highways Department widened the stretch a few years ago. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had widened the Tiruchi-Karur Highway beyond Thindukarai several years ago. A bypass was to be laid between Panjapur on Tiruchi-Madurai highway and Thindukarai. The 11-km stretch from Thindukarai to Tiruchi, with sharp and dangerous curves, was widened from its earlier width of seven metres to up to 10.5 metres under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme 2019-20. However, accidents continue unabated on the road, the most recent one claiming the life of the senior Revenue Department Officer at Kadiyakurichi near Jeeeyapuram. Locals cite overspeeding as the main reason for accidents. Commuters traversing the stretch every day face the brunt of the problem. Accidents are frequent in Jeeyapuram and Pettavaithalai police station limits. 'The widening of the stretch does not seem have to helped bring down accidents,' said P. Ayyarappan, a member of District Road Safety Council and president, Road Users Welfare Association. There has been a number of accidents involving barricades, which are placed to force the vehicles to slow down, at various places, he said. Conceding that there was a need to give a push to the greenfield highway project as a long term measure, Mr. Ayyarappan suggested that medians could be built wherever possible in the meantime. 'There is enough space to widen the road by another two metres on either side at various stretches of the highway,' Mr. Ayyarappan said. Once the Panjapur-Thindukarai bypass is built, traffic density is bound to increase beyond Thindukarai. Speed guns should be installed and overspeeding should be penalised. Besides, highway patrolling by the police should be intensified, he added. Although the NHAI is preparing a detailed project report for the greenfield highway from Tiruchi to Karur, it has been progressing at a slow pace. The new alignment is planned 'at an offset of 12 to 13 km from the existing highway.' However, according to sources, the DPR is expected to be completed in another 10 to 12 months. Plea rejected The NHAI had rejected a plea from the public to develop an alternative road between Allithurai and Mayanur Tollgate. N. Jamaluddin, a civic activist, said the NHAI, in a reply to his petition on the matter in September 2024, had said that the task of preparing the DPR for the greenfield highway had been given to a Hyderabad agency in December 2017. 'The DPR preparation is taking such a long time while fatal accidents are taking place every other week so much so that we are forced to avoid the highway. The NHAI should expedite the process,' he said. The plan was discussed at the recent meeting of District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee by Tiruchi and Karur MPs Durai Vaiko and S. Jothimani and both had promised to take up the matter, Mr. Ayyarappan said. At a press conference on Thursday, Mr. Durai Vaiko said he would take up the issue with the NHAI officials soon.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
SIHS Colony ROB in Coimbatore to be completed only in August
COIMBATORE: The prolonged delay in the completion of the SIHS Colony Rail Overbridge (ROB) has angered locals and motorists in and around the Singanallur, SIHS Colony and Ondipudur areas in Coimbatore city. The completion of the 700-metre-long ROB being constructed by the State Highways Department is now expected only in August this year though it was to be ready by April. The department sources said 90% of the work on the Rs 55-crore project is over. However, its completion has been delayed once again as the works are being carried out at a snail's pace. The ROB between Ondipudur and SIHS colony was announced by the then-Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in November 2010 for an outlay of Rs 19.24 cr. Tenders were called for, and the State Highways Department planned to start the work. However, after the regime change in 2011, the works were halted. The project was revived in 2013, and the budget was revised to Rs 21.16 cr. The project stalled once again due to issues in land acquisition for the service road. As landowners moved for legal proceedings, the project was put on hold. Though the department completed 70% of the work, including 90% of the bridge construction, it was delayed due to negotiations and compensation for the landowners over land acquisitions. Based on the court's direction, the highway department started to lay roads after settling the compensation to the landowners.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
Railways' nod sought for girder work of Coimbatore's Avinashi Road flyover at night
COIMBATORE: The ambitious Avinashi Road elevated flyover project in Coimbatore has hit a major roadblock near Hopes Junction, as the Southern Railways has granted limited working hours for the construction activity in the area. With the 10.1-kilometre-long flyover nearing completion, the last major hurdle involves installing eight massive iron girder beams over the railway lines at Hopes - a task that now hangs in the balance due to time constraints and traffic congestion concerns. The Rs 1,621.30-crore flyover project, which began in December 2020, is being executed by the Special Projects Wing of the State Highways Department to ease traffic congestion on the busy Avinashi Road stretch between Uppilipalayam and Chinniyampalayam. The four-lane elevated corridor is 17.25-metre wide and includes 10.5-metre-wide service roads on both sides, along with stormwater drains and footpaths. Officials said 95% of the work has been completed, and the project was earlier slated for completion by July 30. However, the critical phase of installing girder beams over the railway track near Hopes Junction remains pending. Due to the presence of the existing railway bridge, columns cannot be erected at that stretch. To bridge the 52-metre gap, officials have planned to use eight iron girders, which have arrived from Hyderabad in parts and are currently being assembled at the Government Polytechnic College Ground. Six of the eight girders have already been assembled.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
State Highways to construct new bridge across Then Pennar river in Tiruvannamalai
The State Highways Department is planning to construct a new high-level bridge across the Then Pennar river between Agarampallipattu and Thondamanur village near Thandrampattu town in Tiruvannamalai as a replacement to the collapsed bridge there, as residents have been pressing for their demand of easy connectivity to reach nearby towns. The proposal of the Highways Department comes after the newly-opened ₹15.9-crore bridge across the river collapsed when excess rainwater of over two lakh cusecs was released from Sathanur dam, located 24 km from the village upstream, following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Fengal in December. 'Ever since the bridge collapsed, we had had to trek at least 20 km to reach nearby towns like Thandrampattu and from then, it has been a long-standing demand of the residents of at least 8-10 villages,' D. Pulivendan, president, Thondamanur village panchayat, said. The bridge that collapsed was inaugurated by Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports E.V. Velu, on September 2, 2024. 'Technical design and estimated cost for the proposed bridge across the river is ready. Work on the new bridge will commence in the coming months,' a State Highways official told The Hindu. According to Highways officials, the project to construct the proposed bridge would be executed by the Construction and Maintenance wing of the Department, led by P. Gnanavel, Divisional Engineer (DE), State Highways (Tiruvannamalai), with funds sanctioned under the NABARD scheme. As per plan, the proposed high-level bridge will be 250 metre long and 12 metre wide. The height of the new bridge will be at least 12 metres — five metres higher than the collapsed bridge. Officials said that an increase in height, especially the decks of the bridge, would help the structure to withstand huge influx of excess rainwater released in the river during heavy rainfall. The rise in height of the new structure was decided based on a study of massive floods that happened over the past 100 years, officials said. Another key change is that the proposed bridge would be built away from the collapsed structure. Highways officials attribute change of river course to be the reason for moving away from the earlier location of the bridge. 'The new plan is to build the bridge at least 200 metre away from the collapsed bridge as the river course is much more straight now. The study found that the curved portion of the river could have been the reason for the structural instability of the earlier bridge that collapsed,' said an official. Highway officials said that the proposal for the new bridge has been sent to the State government for financial clearance as technical study for the project has been completed. The project will be announced by the State government in the coming weeks before tenders were floated for the new bridge.
NDTV
29-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
MK Stalin To Inaugurate Permanent Housing For Displaced Irular Families
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will virtually inaugurate newly-built houses for 41 displaced Irular families at Melpakkam village near Arakkonam in Ranipet district on Thursday. The initiative provides permanent rehabilitation to the tribal families who lost their land to a road widening project. In 2023, the State Highways Department acquired patta lands earlier allotted to these families by the district administration for expanding the Kancheepuram-Arakkonam-Tiruttani Road (SH-58). As compensation, the department committed to providing new land and constructing houses at a total cost of Rs 6.32 crore. Each house, built at a cost of Rs 10.70 lakh, spans 355 square feet and includes a living room, bedroom, kitchen and attached toilet. The new residential enclave also features a community hall with a capacity of 100 people, an Anganwadi centre, a small temple, and a protective compound wall. To ensure essential amenities, a 30,000-litre overhead tank has been installed for drinking water supply. Internal roads have been paved with bitumen to facilitate smooth vehicular movement, especially during medical emergencies. Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi, who inspected the site along with District Collector J.U. Chandrakala, interacted with the families and urged them to prioritise education by enrolling their children in nearby schools. He also instructed officials to plant fruit-bearing saplings across the housing area to provide shade and supplementary income in the future. The relocation and housing effort is closely linked to a major infrastructure project - the widening of SH-58 - as part of the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor, under the Centre's East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). The ECEC aims to connect key coastal cities including Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Kanyakumari to promote industrial growth. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the highway upgrade covers a 41.77 km stretch between Kancheepuram and Tiruttani. The road has been expanded into a 10-metre-wide two-lane corridor with stormwater drains, footpaths, 18 small bridges, and 124 culverts. The project cost is estimated at Rs 359.06 crore and has been under development since mid-2021. The initiative represents a balanced approach to infrastructure development and social responsibility, ensuring affected communities are not left behind in the path of progress.
