CHENNAI: The union cabinet on Tuesday approved the four-laning of a 46.7-km stretch of the two-lane national highway between Paramakudi and Ramanathapuram. The project will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) at an estimated cost of Rs 1,853 crore.
The move follows the successful completion of the 75-km Madurai-Paramakudi stretch, which has already been widened to four lane. The centre’s decision assumes significance as land acquisition is under way for a proposed greenfield airport in Ramanathapuram/Rameswaram region. Additionally, the union government is considering upgrading the currently unserved airstrip at Chettinad into a functional airport.
The four-laning project is expected to significantly improve road connectivity to Ramanathapuram, a key junction that serves as a gateway to Rameswaram, Pamban, and Dhanushkodi.
In parallel, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has also begun preparing a detailed project report for the four-laning of the 335-km Nagapattinam-Thoothukudi East Coast Road via Ramanathapuram. Land acquisition for it is in progress. In addition, the 33-km Melur-Ramanathapuram State Highway 34 is being widened into a four-lane corridor by the state highways department.
Ramanathapuram will soon have improved connectivity from all directions - via the East Coast Road, Madurai-Paramakudi NH, and Melur SH, said official sources.”In the coming years, Ramanathapuram will be well-connected from all sides. This will reduce the travel time to Rameswaram, which is just 22 km away,” an official noted.
The project is also expected to decongest the Madurai-Ramanathapuram stretch, improve road safety, and support the growing mobility needs of towns like Paramakudi, Sathirakudi, Achundanvayal, and Ramanathapuram. It will also help decongest highways leading towards Madurai and Tiruchy. At present, the Paramakudi-Ramanathapuram section handles a daily traffic volume of around 12,700 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) and connects to five national highways and three state highways.
An official statement said the project would generate 8.4 lakh person-days of direct employment and 10.45 lakh person-days of indirect employment.