The project for widening the ECR is awaiting a nod from the Centre to recommence operations. The two contractors appointed for widening the road into a four-lane stretch from its present two lanes have already begun mobilising men and machinery. They are waiting for the final nod from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to perform the ground-breaking ceremony.
“The State government has issued the NOC for the project recently, and the letter has been forwarded to the NHAI headquarters. We are awaiting their approval and have asked the contractors to wait for some more time,” explained an official source. Contracts have been awarded for two packages till Mugaiyur at a total cost of ₹1,500 crore for which land acquisition will cost around ₹600 crore.
The third package that will connect the road with the bypass to Puducherry is expected to be awarded by September since certain changes have been made to the alignment. “We will be bypassing Auroville and Puducherry. A new alignment has been fixed for Villupuram to Puducherry. The advantage with this is that traffic meant for Cuddalore and beyond need not enter the tourist town. We will be connecting with the ECR bypass,” said another official.
On completion of the work, ECR would have an 8.5-metre-wide carriageway with paved shoulders on either side and a median. Service lanes would be provided in all built-up stretches. The entire project would cost around ₹3,000 crore. Once NHAI takes over possession of the road from the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), the company would have toll plazas only at Uthandi and Kelambakkam. Since the NOC has been issued, amount due to banks taken as loan for construction of the road, must be repaid and the loss of revenue has to be compensated to the TNRDC, which had the right to collect toll and maintain the road till 2047.
