TIRUCHY: With the long-pending proposal to upgrade the Tiruchy-Pudukkottai National Highway from two lanes to four still stuck in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage, road users and activists have urged the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to expedite the process.
Although the 90-kilometre stretch between Tiruchy and Karaikudi was widened with paved shoulders in 2021, the plan to fully convert it into a four-lane highway has seen little progress since.
According to sources, the DPR preparation has been ongoing for years, with no firm timeline for when work will commence. “The DPR is currently being prepared but has faced delays due to various factors. It is likely to be finalised by 2026, and once that happens, four-laning work will begin immediately,” a senior NHAI official told TNIE.
In the meantime, the NHAI has taken up strengthening a 3-km segment between Kainankarai near Mathur and the Thuvakudi semi-ring road intersection. This stretch has remained a basic two-lane road without paved shoulders or service lanes, causing safety concerns among commuters.
Currently, earthmovers are at work clearing vegetation and levelling the eastern side of the stretch to prepare for widening. Local residents have welcomed the move, though many say it’s long overdue. “Most parts of the highway have service roads, but this stretch doesn’t.
Motorists are forced to share space with fast-moving vehicles, making it highly unsafe,” said S Prabhakar, a resident of Kainankarai. “Widening the road here will make travel much safer for everyone,” he added.
“The delay in the DPR has already cost us enough. Authorities must speed up the process and begin four-lane construction without further hold-up,” demanded several members of local road user associations.