CHENNAI: The state highways department has launched the Chief Minister Road Development Programme (CMRDP) to expand road connectivity to smaller towns and villages. A government order was passed and funds worth Rs 5,581.90 crore were released to develop 3,159.74 km of roads under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme (CRIDP), which includes the CMRDP.
A highways official said, “The tenders have been floated for road work under CMRDP.” The first year of the 10-year plan will focus on roads with higher vehicle density, and see the expansion of 34 two-lane State highways (147.9 km) into four-lane, stretches, and 204 intermediate/single-lane roads (524.45 km) into two-lane stretches. The programme, which aims at promoting 2,200 km of two-lane roads into four-lane and 6,700 km of single-lane and intermediate-lane roads into the double-lane stretches in the next decade, was sanctioned in-principle approval in December 2021.
In addition to the above, Rs 336 crore has been sanctioned for specific road projects, namely, improvement of Shanmugam Road, which connects Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road at Tambaram, Coimbatore Western Ring Road, footpath near Irukandudi Mariamman temple in Virudhunagar district, widening of girivalam path at Srinivasa Perumal temple in Virudhunagar district, and construction of Groynes in Neerodi - Erayumanthurai and Pottal puthenthurai Pallamthurai, according to the government order. Funds were allotted under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme to construct 66 high-level bridges, and complete various urban development and road safety works.