Work on widening the existing two-lane Cuddalore - Chittoor Road into four lane in Tiruvannamalai has commenced on Thursday. Accompanied by Collector B. Murugesh, Minister for Public Works, Highways and Minor Ports E.V. Velu laid the foundation for the project in Edapalayam village near Tiruvannamalai. Officials of the State Highways Department, which maintains the road, said that the stretch connects key districts like Kallakuruchi, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet, Vellore, Tirupattur before ending in Chittoor (A.P), covering a distance of 205 km. The entire stretch is a short route for goods-laden vehicles from southern districts to reach northern areas and to neighbouring States like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka bypassing the congested GST Road. “Widening of the stretch will help prevent accidents as features like reflectors, warning sign boards and median will be provided. Last relaying of the stretch was taken up in 2014-15,” K. Raghuraman, Assistant Director (AD), State Highways (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu. As per the plan, the widening work is being taken up for a distance of 28 km between Kallakuruchi (8.5 km) and Tiruvannamalai (19.5 km). Funded under the Chief Minister Road Development Programme for 2022-23 (CMRDP), the total cost of the project is ₹209 crore (Tiruvannamalai ₹140 crore; Kallakuruchi ₹69 crore). On an average, 40,000 vehicles use the stretch every day. The existing two-lane stretch will be converted into a 40-metre stretch. The entire work will be completed in 21 months by the Construction and Maintenance wing of the State Highways Department. For motorists, the widening of the stretch would bring in more facilities, including LED lighting, tiled footpath, storm water drain, rainwater harvesting system and native trees. Once widened, the stretch would have 24 bus stops with more frequency of bus services, including inter-district services. A total of 41 small bridges would also be built enroute to enable residents to move freely across the road without affecting the traffic. A total of 104 Tangedco poles and two electrical transformers would be relocated for the work, officials said. S. Palanivel, Superintendent Engineer (SE), State Highways, K. Murali, Divisional Engineer (DE), elected representatives, officials and residents participated.
