T’malai road infra gets major boost at Rs 1,014 cr

TIRUVANNAMALAI: Agriculture-based Tiruvannamalai district will soon get a shot in the arm following the State Highways Department currently undertaking various road-related works estimated nearly around Rs 1,014 crore.

“District development has been affected by lack of proper rail and road connectivity because of its location,” said a long-time resident S Sethu.

“Though the town boasts of a railway station, it sees only 24 trains a day maximum compared to 120 trains per day at Katpadi in the neighbouring Vellore district,” sources said.

Hence, roads were the only convenient and effective link for the district. While some roads fall under Major District Roads (MDR) category, a majority of others come under the smaller Other District Roads (ODR) category.

But, all these are likely to change when ongoing road works are completed likely by June 2024 and the connectivity to temple town of Tiruvannamalai would go up several notches, Highways Department sources said.

“The various works to widen, strengthen and convert two-lane roads into four-lane highways is the prime aim of PWD and Minister of Public Works EV Velu, who is also a local resident,” said Tiruvannamalai Highways Divisional Engineer EK Murali.

Can bring industries

What the state government is yet to understand and capitalise on is that the increased and improved road infrastructure will also bring more industries, which the district lacks but for the lone industrial estate at Cheyyar (Tiruvathipuram).

Elaborating, Murali said, “The monthly girivalam alone anticipates about 10 lakh devotees, while the number will shoot to 35 lakh during the annual Karthigai Deepam festival. Reaching the temple town from Chennai, Vellore, southern districts and from the Kongu region, comprising Salem, Erode and Coimbatore, will be easy and comfortable once these approach roads are widened.”

Ongoing works include four-laning of Tiruvannamalai-Tirukoilur and Tiruvannamalai-Harur stretches and widening of Tiruvannamalai-Thanipadi and Arani-Ettivadi stretches for a total of 24.5 km, sources revealed.

Minister Velu also ensured increased infrastructure through the Integrated Road Infrastructure Development Scheme.

Also in Tiruvannamalai sub-division, work has started on widening and strengthening 19 bridges under various schemes at a total cost of Rs 156.12 crore.

A proposal under the NABARD and village roads scheme to widen panchayat union roads to the ODR category for a distance of 146.30 km at a cost of Rs 168.69 crore has been forwarded to the government, the officials added.

Collector B Murugesh said, “once the paver blocks are fitted onto the Girivalam path and approach roads are widened and improved, news about easy access to Tiruvannamalai will spread quickly and we hope to capitalise on it by increasing revenue sources for the district.”