Tamil Nadu’s Infrastructure Boom ! Highway and Road Projects Creating New History

Making Tamil Nadu a leading state in India’s highway sector !
Rs.17,154 crore for 9,620 km long road projects.
Rs.6,065 crore for the Chief Minister’s Road Development Programme.
Rs.4,907.17 crore for 5,604.53 km long Panchayat Union roads.
Rs.4,061.71 crore for National Highway projects.
Rs.2,074 crore for upgrading 6,805 km length of improvements to riding
quality programme.
Rs.1,372 crore for converting 1,049 causeways into high-level bridges.
Rs.1,330.70 crore for externally aided projects.
Rs.1,134.01 crore for newly constructed railway bridges.
Rs.1,161 crore for 996 new bridges.
Rs.813.25 crore for 8 new road overbridges.
Rs.555.86 crore for Tamil Nadu Road sector project II.
Rs.372.51 crore for bypass Link roads.

Road facilities are extremely crucial for a nation’s economic growth. John F. Kennedy, who served as the President of the United States, once remarked, “The excellent road facilities in this country are the reason for America’s economic progress.”

With the aim of boosting Tamil Nadu’s economy, Muththamizh Arignar Kalaignar initiated various measures to expand road facilities in the state. He created the “Link Road Scheme,” established the Highways Department as a separate entity under the Government of Tamil Nadu, and appointed a dedicated minister for the Highways Department. Through these efforts, he made Tamil Nadu renowned as a leading state in the highways sector

Highlights of the Highways Department Under the Dravidian Leader, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

Chief Minister’s Road Development Scheme

Launched in 2021, this scheme has made significant progress:

• ₹3,858 crore allocated for 448 km of four-lane roads
• ₹2,207 crore allocated for 1,681 km of two-lane roads — both projects have been completed
• Ongoing works include:
  • 383 km of four-lane roads at a cost of ₹2,807 crore
  • 357 km of two-lane roads at a cost of ₹709 crore

Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme

• ₹17,154 crore for 9,620 km of road works
• ₹1,161 crore for 996 bridge and culvert projects

Urban Area Development Scheme

• Development of 164 km of roads under the Urban Area Development Scheme at a cost of ₹731 crore
• Road Pavement Improvement Scheme: 6,805 km of roads upgraded at a cost of ₹2,074 crore
• 1,652 road safety works completed at a cost of ₹662 crore

Bypass and Link Roads

Several bypass and link road projects have been successfully completed:

• 10 bypass projects completed at a cost of ₹307.8 crore, including:
  • Manachanallur (Phase I)
  • Illuppur
  • Parthibanur
  • Rasipuram (Phase I, Division-2)
  • Bhavani (Phase II)
  • Mudukulathur
  • Tiruttani
  • Coonoor
  • Namakkal (Phase I)
• Additional works:
  • Thindal Junction to Kaniravutharkulam via Villarasanpatti (Erode district) – ₹20.85 crore
  • Javans Bhavan Road – ₹1.97 crore
  • Pasumalai Link Roads – ₹41.89 crore
  • 5,064.53 km of Panchayat/Panchayat Union roads upgraded to District Other Roads at a cost of ₹4,907.17 crore

International Financial Assistance Projects – ₹1,330.70 Crore

Under the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor Project, five road projects completed:

• Thuraiyur–Perambalur Road with bypasses at Nakkasalem and Kurumbalur – ₹240.06 crore
• Mohanur–Namakkal–Sendamangalam–Rasipuram Road – ₹349.94 crore
• Vriddhachalam–Ulundurpettai Road – ₹251.29 crore
• Thanjavur–Mannargudi Road – ₹238.90 crore
• Melur–Tiruppathur Road – ₹250.51 crore

Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project – Phase II: ₹555.86 Crore

Four major road projects completed:

• Vriddhachalam–Parangipettai Road – ₹129.94 crore
• Omalur–Mecheri Road – ₹144.64 crore
• Siththode–Erode Road – ₹104.70 crore
• Tirunelveli–Sengottai–Kollam Road – ₹176.58 crore

Upgradation to Six-Lane Roads

Under the Tamil Nadu Road Infrastructure Development Corporation:

• The Vandalur–Walajabad Road has been upgraded from a four-lane to a six-lane road at a cost of ₹180.09 crore.

₹1,372 Crore Allocated for Conversion of 1,049 Causeways into High-Level Bridges

Key Projects Include:

• High-level bridge across the Cheyyar River on the Thandarai–Erayur Road in Tiruvannamalai District – ₹17.04 crore
• High-level bridge across the Kollidam River at Kallanai – ₹90.96 crore
• High-level bridge across the Pennaiyar River – ₹27.92 crore
• High-level bridge over the Buckingham Canal on the Tiruvottiyur–Ponneri–Panchetti Road in Chennai – ₹58.64 crore
• High-level bridge across the Cheyyar River on the Uthiramerur–Kancheepuram Road in Kancheepuram District – ₹21.56 crore
• Eight high-level bridges across the Lower Bhavani Canal in Erode District – ₹33.76 crore
• High-level bridge across the Kosasthalaiyar River on the Tiruttani–Nagalapuram Road – ₹18.57 crore
• High-level bridge across the Cooum River at Paruthipattu – ₹19.48 crore
• High-level bridge across the Kalagam–Maruthangudi River on the Avudaiyarkovil Road – ₹11.06 crore
• High-level bridge across the Maharaja Samudram River on the Mannargudi–Sethubhavachatram Road – ₹13.60 crore
• High-level bridge across the Vaigai River between Mannadimangalam and Irumbadi – ₹19.00 crore
• High-level bridge on the Chittoor–Tiruttani Road, and other causeways converted under the same scheme, including one at Chittoor–Tiruttani Road – ₹36.50 crore

NABARD Loan Assistance and State-Funded Projects

A total of 278 bridges have been constructed through the NABARD unit under NABARD loan assistance and state-funded schemes, at a cost of ₹1,137.62 crore.

8 Road Overbridges – ₹813.25 Crore

• Flyover at Kaliyammankoil Street and Chennai Suburban Bus Entry Gate junction on Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Koyambedu – ₹93.50 crore
• Second-tier bridge from Taramani Link Road to Velachery Bypass at Velachery Vijay Nagar Junction – ₹67.00 crore
• First-tier bridge connecting Velachery Bypass to Velachery–Tambaram Road – ₹78.49 crore
• Bridge section from Tambaram to Velachery, linking Medavakkam road junctions – ₹95.21 crore
• Multi-lane flyover at Madurai–Thondi Road and Madurai Bypass junction – ₹53.12 crore
• ‘U’-shaped flyover at Indira Nagar Junction, Chennai – ₹20 crore
• Road overbridge at Ukkadam Athupalam, Coimbatore – ₹140.49 crore
• Extension of Ukkadam Athupalam – ₹265.44 crore

₹1,133.01 Crore for 29 Completed Railway Overbridges / Underpasses

• Railway overbridge near Annanur – ₹52.98 crore
• Railway overbridge between Kadambathur and Thiruvallangadu near Kadambathur Station – ₹25.74 crore
• Railway overbridge near Kancheepuram Railway Station on the Chennai–Ponneri Karai–Kancheepuram Road – ₹59.63 crore
• Railway overbridge between Vandalur and Guduvanchery near Urapakkam – ₹37.12 crore
• Olakkur Feeder Railway Overbridge – ₹20.96 crore
• Railway overbridge between Parikkal Stations on the Cuddalore–Chittoor Road – ₹22.63 crore
• Railway overbridge between Thandarai and Tiruvannamalai on the Pondy–Krishnagiri Road – ₹38.74 crore
• Railway overbridge between Pollachi and Kinathukadavu on the Pollachi–Palakkad Road – ₹48.48 crore

In Perungalathur:

• Bridge section from Chengalpattu to Chennai – ₹37.00 crore
• Bridge near Srinivasa Raghavan Street – ₹24.80 crore
• Bridge section from Chennai to Chengalpattu – ₹60.13 crore

A total of 29 railway overbridges/underpasses have been constructed across various railway tracks under the Dravidian Model Government to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Foot Overbridge

A foot overbridge equipped with escalators has been constructed in Tambaram at a cost of ₹6.29 crore.

₹4,061.71 Crore for Union Government’s Road Transport and Highways Projects

• Under the Annual Plan for National Highways, 88 road projects and 16 bridge works have been completed at a total cost of ₹3,909.16 crore.
• Under the Periodic Renewal Scheme, 8 road works on National Highways have been completed at a cost of ₹152.55 crore.

Namma Salai (Our Road) App

A mobile app titled “Namma Salai” has been developed to help identify and repair potholes through public participation. Citizens can report potholes via the app, enabling timely maintenance and repair.

Training for Engineers

To ensure efficient execution of road and bridge works using modern and evolving technologies, training programs have been conducted for engineers and support staff:

• 379 engineers and 112 non-technical officers received general training.
• Under the Comprehensive Training Programme (CTP), 2,881 engineers and 832 non-technical officers were trained.
• Additionally, training was provided to:
  • 368 engineers from Greater Chennai Corporation
  • 40 engineers from District Rural Development Agencies
  • 41 Deputy Collectors (Trainees)
  • 134 Section Officers from the Secretariat

Road Safety Awareness Meetings

Road safety awareness meetings were conducted in 22 districts, including Namakkal, Chengalpattu, Nilgiris, Theni, Madurai, Thoothukudi, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Erode, Coimbatore, Virudhunagar, Karur, Tiruppur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Trichy, and Mayiladuthurai.

A total of 454 road safety awareness programs were conducted in schools and colleges by Highways Department safety engineers, aiming to raise awareness among students.

919 New Appointments

A total of 919 individuals have been recruited:

• Through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission:
  • 84 Assistant Engineers
  • 416 Junior Draughting Officers
  • 182 Assistants
  • 3 Audit Assistants
  • 67 Junior Assistants
  • 6 Steno-Typists Grade III
  • 49 Typists
• Through the Sports Quota:
  • 4 Assistants
• On Compassionate Grounds:
  • 3 Assistant Draughtsmen
  • 45 Junior Assistants
  • 9 Typists
  • 15 Record Clerks
  • 36 Office Assistants

Ongoing Major Works

Bypass road projects currently underway include:

• Coimbatore Western Bypass
• Mannargudi Phase-I
• Ambasamudram
• Tiruchengode (Phases I & II)
• Bhavani (Phase-I)
• Namakkal (Phases II & III)
• Pollachi Western Bypass
• Aruppukkottai Western Bypass
• Kamuthi–Sivaganga Phase-I
• Uthiramerur
• Thuraiyur Phase-II
• Tambaram Eastern Bypass (two sections)
• Thiruporur/Kelambakkam

Other ongoing works:

• 812.8 km of Panchayat/Panchayat Union roads are being upgraded to District Other Roads – ₹944.21 crore
• 373 road safety works under the Integrated Road Infrastructure Development Scheme – ₹331 crore
• 2,264 km of road works – ₹8,076 crore
• 69 bridge/culvert projects – ₹694 crore
• 134 causeways being converted into high-level bridges – ₹763.80 crore
• 32 high-level bridges under NABARD loan assistance – ₹375.32 crore
• 19 high-level bridges under state-funded schemes – ₹596.64 crore
• High-level road from Goldwins to Uppilipalayam (Coimbatore) – ₹1,791.23 crore
• High-level road from Thenampet to Saidapet (Chennai) – ₹621 crore
• Road overbridge at Padappai – ₹25.52 crore
• Road overbridge at Goripalayam Junction (Madurai) – ₹190.40 crore
• Road overbridge on Madurai–Thondi Road (Madurai) – ₹150.28 crore
• 41 railway overbridges and underpasses under construction – ₹2,105.49 crore
• Construction of ‘U’-shaped flyover at Tidel Park Junction – ₹27.5 crore

Chennai Metropolitan Development Projects: ₹590.51 Crore

• Road overbridge at Central Kailash Junction, where Sardar Patel Road intersects with Rajiv Gandhi Salai in Chennai – ₹60.69 crore.
• Construction of a flyover from MIOT Hospital to Mugalivakkam – ₹314.48 crore.
• Underpass near Madipakkam – ₹45.50 crore.
• Two pedestrian overbridges at Nelson Manickam Road Junction and Senthil Nagar Junction – ₹30.67 crore.
• Widening of the railway overbridge on the Inner Ring Road – ₹139.17 crore.

Under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru M.K. Stalin, these extensive road and flyover infrastructure projects are setting new benchmarks. They are helping establish Tamil Nadu as a frontrunner in India’s highway and urban infrastructure development—continuing the state’s legacy of leadership across multiple sectors.

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Issued by: Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Secretariat, Chennai – 9