CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday announced measures to ease traffic congestion in Chennai, Hosur, Rasipuram and Tharamangalam. Besides, 80 new bridges would be built in 25 districts at a cost of Rs 159.74 crore, benefitting around 22 lakh people of 472 villages.
Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly under Rule 110, the Chief Minister said the nine important roads linking Chennai with other parts of the State and neighbouring States would be upgraded. In all, 141.60 km of roads would be improved at Rs 744 crore. While the Chengalpattu-Thiruporur Road, Tambaram-Mudichur-Sriperumpudur Road, Kodambakkam-Sriperumpudur Road, Walajabad-Sukunvachathiram-Keezhacherry Road, Satras-Chengalpattu-Kancheepuram-Tiruttani Road, Singapuerumal Kovil-Sriperumpudur-Tiruvallur-Red Hills Road, and Thirumazhisai-Uthukottai Road would be upgraded from two-lane to four-lane roads, the Pallavaram-Thoraippakkam Road and Chennai-Chittoor Road would be upgraded from four-lane to six-lane roads.
The Chief Minister said the upgraded roads would serve as link roads to the outer ring road and peripheral ring road of Chennai and would ease traffic congestion in Chennai’s suburban areas.
With a loan from NABARD, 80 new bridges would be constructed in 25 districts, she said, adding that most of them would be built in rural areas. Around 22 lakh people from 472 villages benefit from these bridges. Besides, they would help farmers transport agricultural produce.
“With a view to ease traffic congestion in Hosur, a 18.40-km outer ring road would be laid between JuJuvadi and Perandapalli. For this, land will be acquired at Rs 215 crore from 11 villages in Hosur taluk”, the Chief Minister said.
She said that by-pass road would be laid on the stretch of Omalur-Sangagiri-Thiruchengode-Paramathi Road, at a cost of Rs 20 crore to ease congestion in Tharamangalam town. The second phase of the Rasipuram by-pass road would be taken up at a cost of Rs Rs.25 crore along Anaippalaym village to Malliyankarai-Rasipuram-Thiruchengode-Erode Road. The second phase would end at Ponkurichi.
“This would help vehicles from Attur, Mettala, Mullukurichi, Kollimalai and Senthamangalam going towards Salem and Namakkal, Thiruchengode and Erode pass through this second phase of by-pass road. Further, the vehicles of educational institutions located around Rasipuram could also use this road. Thus, the traffic congestion would be eased to a great extent in Rasipuram town besides bringing down accidents, journey time and fuel consumption,” Jaya added.