Giving a major fillip to surface transport connectivity in the State, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday allocated Rs 2,950 crore for carrying out as many as 2,420 road projects under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme during the current financial year. Last year, the allocation for the same was Rs 2,262.50 crore.
The road projects include widening of 22-km stretch of Chennai-Tituttani-Renigunta road (Rs98 crore), by-pass roads in Thanjavur district (Rs 52 crore), improving 81.53 km stretch of roads left undone by the National Highways Authority of India in the districts of Chennai, Tiruchy, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Tiruvannamalai, Tirupur and Tirunelveli (Rs 85.66 crore), improving roads connecting the East Coast Road (ECR) in Kancheepuram district (Rs 11.24 crore) and repairing roads leading to cement factories in Ariyalur and Perambalur districts and other roads (Rs 50.33 crore).
Several roads in the districts of Pudukottai, Tirupur and Coimbatore too have been identified for major revamp.
A sum of Rs 1,021.26 crore would be spent through the State Highways Department for widening 55 km stretch of roads and improving the quality of 1,170 km stretch of roads besides constructing 30 bridges.
Similarly, Rs 1,178.88 crore would be spent for widening important roads — 912 km stretch — in the districts, and strengthening 945 km of roads besides constructing 20 bridges.
Improving the quality of other roads to a stretch of 1,061 km, widening of 290 km of roads and constructing 41 bridges would be carried out a cost of Rs 467.89 crore.
Further, Rs 281.96 crore has been allocated for widening 167 km stretch of roads in areas where the population of Adi Dravidas exceeds 50 per cent and improving the quality of 691 km district roads and constructing 10 bridges.