6-lane NH to B’luru to be ready by year-end: NHAI

CHENNAI: According to the status report filed by the NHAI, the 23.2-km Maduravoyal-Sriperumbudur stretch six-laning work would be completed by the end of this month.

The work is being executed by the State Highways Department’s NH wing at a cost of Rs 463 crore. The widening work on the 34-km Sriperumbudur-Karaipettai section of NH 4 (Rs 654 crore) would be completed by October 31, while the work on the 36-km Karaipettai - Walajapet section (Rs 533 crore) would be over by end of this year.

Admitting the status report filed by the NHAI, the first bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice PD Audikesavalu posted the case to October 3 so as to verify whether the work of the first stretch was completed as assured through the status report.

The report was filed by the NHAI seeking to lift the court’s order on collecting only 50 per cent of user fees in the Sriperumbudur and Walajapet toll plazas. The court had issued the direction in December 2020, asking it to collect only 50 per cent of user fees at the two toll plazas due to poor condition of the stretch.

K Saravanan, a resident of Porur who visits his native Vellore every fortnight, said the stretch between Poonamallee and Sriperumbudur has improved but Sriperumbudur-Walajapet stretch works are yet to get over. “Several flyovers and underpass works are yet to be completed. I don’t know whether they would be able to complete all the works by the year-end,” he said.

It may be noted that Chief Minister MK Stalin had written to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in February flagging the “bad condition” of the Sriperumbudur - Walajapet section of the highway, and sought his intervention to expedite the six-laning of the road and maintain the stretch in a good condition.