DHARMAPURI: Dharmapuri MLA SP Venkateshwaran met Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in Delhi and submitted a petition to take steps to complete the proposed project to reconstruct the road in Thoppur ghat as soon as possible to prevent accidents there.
The MLA alleged that most of the accidents in the region happen due to faulty road design, especially on the 4 km long road. Speaking to TNIE, Venkateshwaran said, “The Dharmapuri-Salem road, which is part of NH 7, is one of the busiest roads in the country.
The Thoppur Ghat road, which lies between 159 km and 163 km marker of the Bengaluru - Kanyakumari highway, has an acute bend that causes many accidents. Between 2018 and 2022, a total of 510 accidents occurred here, in which 161 people lost their lives, while 246 people were seriously injured and 361 escaped with minor injuries.
So, we have filed a petition with the minister to reconstruct the road as soon as possible.” “Recently, a proposal for construction of the elevated highway for Rs 405.65 crore has been approved by the NHAI. Under this project, the four-lane road will be widened and converted to a six-lane road. Over 3.75 hectares of land acquisition is required, including 3.56 hectares of forest land,” he said.
“In reply to the petition, NHAI said that improvement of Thoppur ghat section under ‘Bharatmala Pariyojan’ is under approval and soon the inquisition will be undertaken,” the MLA said.