The widened Arcot-Tindivanam High Road (SH - 05) into four lane stretch in Tiruvannamalai was opened for public to use on Thursday.
Accompanied by Collector D. Bhaskara Pandian, Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu inaugurated the stretch, which was maintained by the Department of Highways. “The widened stretch will help for easy and safe travel between Bengaluru and Puducherry for lorries, trucks and buses,” said K. Raman, a motorist. It will also ease traffic movement on other arterial stretches like Chittoor - Cuddalore Highway and Chennai - Bengaluru Highway.
Funded under the Chief Minister Road Development Plan (CMRDP) 2023-24, the ₹175-crore work involved widening of the stretch into 20 metres with concrete median, storm water drain, reflectors and signages. Three flyovers, including one across Cheyyar River, were also built as part of the work.
Besides, 47 culverts and 32 bus bays were also built along the widened stretch to prevent inundation during monsoon. As the stretch is a pilgrim route especially to Tirupathi, Puducherry, Kancheepuram and Melmaruvathur, more bus bays were created to allow town and mofussil buses to halt for local commuters and long distance travelers.
Of a total 24-km, 7.4-km of the stretch has been widened in its initial phase of widening due availability of land on both sides of the stretch. Most of the widened portion of the stretch comes under Cheyyar and Vandavasi towns in the district.
At present, on an average, more than one lakh vehicles, mostly from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, use the stretch to go to southern districts. As part of replacement for uprooted 438 trees for the work and to provide more green cover, 6,010 saplings of native species have been planted on both sides of the stretch.
