CHENNAI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved a Rs 1,427.61 crore project to construct a four-lane bypass for Tiruvarur on the Nagapattinam-Thanjavur stretch of National Highway 83 in Tamil Nadu.
The 14.9-km-long project will also include the construction of two additional road overbridges on National Highways 129A and 134A.
Gadkari said the project would strengthen connectivity between key industrial centres such as Tiruchy and Coimbatore and port towns including Karaikal and Nagapattinam. He said the project was expected to boost economic activity in the region.
The bypass will begin near the Adiyakkamangalam-Thandalai area and pass through Athipuliyur, Andipalayam, Kidaramkondan, Pallivaramangalam, Perumpugalur, Ilavangarkudi and Anaivadapathi Colony.
Once completed, the project is expected to ease traffic congestion in Tiruvarur town and reduce travel time by up to 15 minutes. It is also expected to improve road safety by diverting vehicular traffic away from densely populated and commercially busy areas.
The bypass will improve connectivity with State Highways 23 and 65, besides enhancing access to the famed Thyagaraja Swamy Temple. Officials said the project would support infrastructure growth and improve travel convenience in the region.
The National Highways Authority of India had already floated a tender in August 2025, inviting bids for the project to be executed under the hybrid annuity mode on a design, build, operate and transfer basis. The bids are scheduled to be opened in June this year.
Though the bypass was originally planned as part of the Thanjavur-Nagapattinam National Highway strengthening project carried out a few years ago, the work could not be taken up then due to incomplete land acquisition.
The two-lane Thanjavur-Nagapattinam National Highway section was strengthened in recent years after prolonged delays. The project, initially sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 396 crore, remained stalled for several years after the concessionaire abandoned the works after completing only a short stretch.
Subsequently, the NHAI awarded a fresh contract for completing the 65.37-km stretch at an estimated cost of Rs 340.63 crore, and the works have since been completed.