TN road infra gets major push; Chennai sees multiple upgrades
Guided by Chief Minister MK Stalin, the government has committed over Rs 17,000 crore for road and bridge projects across the State, with significant investment targeted at improving urban mobility and rural connectivity
Representative Image
CHENNAI: A massive overhaul of Tamil Nadu’s road infrastructure is under way, with Chennai emerging as a major hub of activity under the State’s expansive highway development programme.
Guided by Chief Minister MK Stalin, the government has committed over Rs 17,000 crore for road and bridge projects across the State, with significant investment targeted at improving urban mobility and rural connectivity.
In Chennai, several key projects are in progress. A high-level road between Teynampet and Saidapet is being built at a cost of Rs 621 crore, while a ‘U’-shaped flyover at Tidel Park Junction at Rs 27.5 crore is open for traffic.
Other major completed works include flyovers in Velachery, Koyambedu, and Perungalathur, an underpass in Madipakkam, and the widening of the Inner Ring Road bridge at a cost of Rs 139.17 crore.
Under the Chief Minister’s Road Development Programme, over 2,100 km of roads have been completed since its launch in 2021. The government has also taken up the upgradation of 5,600 km of Panchayat Union roads at Rs 4,907 crore, and is converting 1,049 causeways into high-level bridges with an allocation of Rs 1,372 crore.
A total of 996 new bridges and 29 railway overbridges have been completed, while 41 more are under construction. Externally funded schemes such as the Chennai-Kanniyakumari Industrial Corridor have improved regional linkages, with projects like the Thanjavur–Mannargudi and Melur–Tirupattur roads.
To support these efforts, the government has introduced the ‘Namma Salai’ app for pothole reporting and conducted road safety programmes in 22 districts. Nearly 1,000 recruits have been appointed to support the growing demands of the Highways Department.
