TENKASI: State Highway Department has extended the 'expected completion date' of the road-widening works on the Tirunelveli-Tenkasi highway to August 2023, according to an RTI reply to a Pavoorchatram-based activist. The department, which began the road-widening works in February 2021 had earlier set the completion date as September 2022. The road widening work is being done as a part of the Tirunelveli-Shengottai-Kollam four-lane road project.
Responding to the activist R Pandiaraja, the Public Information Officer-cum-Divisional Engineer of Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project C Jagan Mohan said that 71.91 % and 54.45 % of the road-widening works on the 'Pettai - Alangulam' stretch (22.7km) and 'Alangulam - Asath Nagar stretch (22.9km) respectively, have been completed so far.
While the Highway Department said a toll plaza would come up in Maranthai in a previous RTI response to Pandiaraja, Mohan said this time the construction of the toll plaza will be decided as per the policy of the state government and instructions of higher officials. According to his response, the delay in the completion of the road-widening project has been caused by COVID-19, tree transplantation and cutting works, closure of stone quarries and some permission issues.
Speaking to TNIE, Pandiaraja said the state government should take steps to complete the road-widening works on a war footing. "The widening works are carried out very slowly while, on the other hand, the accidents in Tirunelveli - Tenkasi stretch have been increasing. At present, even ambulances take around two hours to transport a patient from different parts of Tenkasi to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital via this road. Those who travel from Tenkasi to Tirunelveli and vice-versa for work, spend at least four hours daily for their up-and-down journey," he said.