RAMANATHAPURAM: The long pending demand of expanding the existing two-lane road from Paramakudi to Ramanathapuram to a four-lane has been approved by the NHAI. The highways department floated tenders as two packages for expanding the road at a cost of over Rs 700 crore and Rs 800 crore respectively. Trade experts opined that the project would develop the movement of logistics throughout the district.
Sources said thousands of tourists and logistics ply through the Madurai-Ramanathapuram national highway daily. Though the road is four-lane from Madurai to Paramakudi, the section after Paramakudi is two-lane. Considering the number of vehicles, the particular two-lane road witnesses frequent accidents and periodic traffic snarls. Conversion of the section of NH into a four-lane road has been one of the major demands of various stakeholders in Ramanathapuram.
Accordingly, the NHAI initiated special projects to expand the existing two-lane road from Paramakudi to Ramanathapuram to be expanded into four-lane roads. The project is to be carried out in two packages at a total estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore. According to the tender floated by the NHAI, under package-I to the length of 24.14 km from Paramakudi to Ramanathapuram on NH-87, the expansion to four-lane will happen on hybrid annuity mode at a cost of Rs 743.44 crore. Under package-II, expansion to four-lane from Paramakudi to Ramanathapuram section of NH-87 for a length of 22.525 km on hybrid annuity mode will happen at a cost of Rs 816.01 crore.
President of Ramanathapuram District Chamber of Commerce and Industry A Asmabag Anwardeen said that announcements were made a year back for widening the road into a four-lane. However, implementation of the work is being done now. He requested the concerned department to expedite the work without affecting traffic movement on the present road. Expansion of the road will not only prevent traffic snarls and accidents but also improve freight movement from Ramanathapuram. Logistics remain a major hurdle in Ramanathapuram, which affects industrial growth, he added.