CHENNAI: The State Highway Department has proposed to construct bypasses in Arcot and Tirupattur towns at Rs 64.59 crore to ease traffic congestion and divert heavy vehicles.

A 3.46 km bypass road would be laid in Arcot town in Ranipet to divert vehicles to and from Arani entering the town, said an official, adding that the bypass road was a long-pending demand of the local people due to traffic congestion caused by heavy vehicles, including buses to Arani. The Arcot bypass would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 29.50 crore.

The four-lane Tirupattur bypass would be 14.35 km long, and the Rs 35.08 crore phase - 1 of the Tirupattur Bypass would run for a distance of 5.225 km.

To construct the bypass, the department has acquired 43.41 hectares, including 39.87 hectares of private land in Athiyur, Rachamangalam, Pallipattu, Kasinaickenpatti, Achamangalam, and Kandili villages. The government has allocated a compensation of Rs 36 crore for the land.

The official said vehicles are now passing through the congested Tirupattur town, causing traffic chaos and frequent accidents. The bypass road would help ease the movement of truckers and buses to Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, and Hosur without passing through Tirupattur.

It would also allow heavy vehicles to skip narrow stretches of the town while connecting key roads like Salem-Tirupattur-Vaniyambadi Road, Tirupattur-Dharmapuri Road, and Bargur-Tirupattur Road.

The Rural Roads wing of the Highway Department and NABARD have floated separate tenders for Tirupattur and Arcot Bypass projects.