COIMBATORE: The Neelambur bypass road which is currently maintained and controlled by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Limited will be handed over to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) by June 1, district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar said on Friday.
A press release issued by the collector stated, “We are expecting the letter of communication from NHAI for taking over the road from L&T in two weeks.”
Sources said after NHAI takes over control of the stretch, the number of toll gates in the stretch may be reduced. Also, the two- lane stretch may be upgraded as either a four-lane or six-lane road with two service lanes.
They added that an agreement was signed by L&T with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in 1999 to maintain the 28-km stretch between Neelambur and Madukkarai on NH 544 for 30 years by collecting toll charges.
The NH 544 is a six-lane road from Salem to Neelambur and four-lane road from Walayar to Madukkarai. But the 28 km between Neelambur and Madukkarai, also called as Neelambur Bypass Road, is just 10-metre wide and has two lanes.
In the last one decade, there has been vociferous demands from several quarters to widen the road as fatal accidents increased here. Heeding to this, the NHAI and L&T held several rounds of negotiations, which resulted in the current development.