Tamil Nadu unveils Rs 1.37 lakh crore road blueprint, NHAI plans Rs 1 lakh crore National Highway push

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has unveiled an ambitious Vision 2035 roadmap to develop a 4,543.5-km road network at an estimated cost of Rs 1,36,996 crore, while the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has drawn up plans to invest more than Rs 1 lakh crore in expanding another 2,500 km of national highways across the state.

The proposals, presented at the CII Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Summit 2026 on Monday (August 3), are aimed at improving industrial connectivity, strengthening links to ports and airports, easing congestion in Chennai and supporting the growth of Tier-II cities.

I Jeyakumar, Member Secretary and Special Officer, Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA), said the Vision 2035 plan, jointly prepared by NHAI and the State Highways Department, comprises 144 corridors spanning 4,543.5 km.

Of the total investment, NHAI projects account for Rs 84,891 crore, while the State Highways Department will execute projects worth Rs 52,105 crore.

The proposed network includes 20 spine corridors, 21 link roads, industrial and coastal connectivity projects, nine airport connectivity projects, dedicated road improvements in the Chennai Metropolitan Area and master plans for Tier-II cities.

Chennai alone will see 13 new road projects covering 164 km at an estimated cost of Rs 2,947 crore, while master plans for Coimbatore, Madurai and Hosur have already been approved. The Tuticorin master plan is awaiting approval.

Airport connectivity has also been prioritised, with eight corridors proposed by the State Highways Department and one by NHAI. Two of the proposed state road links have already been taken up under spur road projects.

NHAI Regional Officer Virender Sambyal said the authority already has 855 km of national highway projects worth more than Rs 33,000 crore under construction in Tamil Nadu. In addition, another 2,500 km of highways requiring investments exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore are in the pipeline.

Among the marquee projects are the Chennai-Trichy-Madurai greenfield access-controlled corridor, the Maduravoyal-Sriperumbudur elevated corridor, six-laning of the Chengalpattu-Tindivanam stretch of NH-32, four-laning of the Nagapattinam-Thoothukudi-Kanyakumari section of NH-32, improved connectivity to Cuddalore Port, and bypass projects in Coimbatore, Salem and Trichy.

The proposed investments are expected to strengthen freight movement, improve connectivity to industrial clusters, ports and airports, and support Tamil Nadu's manufacturing and export-driven economy.