Plans to build a new bypass road at Uthiramerur, which is in the southern suburbs of Chennai, have been finalised by the State Highways Department in Tamil Nadu.
According to a report in Times of India (TOI), an estimated Rs 35 crore of work is being done to improve traffic congestion and expedite the time it takes for vehicles travelling to locations like Kancheepuram and Tiruvannamalai to reach their destinations.
According to a senior highway official who spoke with TOI, the new 4 km bypass route is anticipated to provide better access to the region’s steel, cement, and textile companies, several of which have lately declared intentions to increase operations. After examining traffic patterns, the department chose to construct a two-lane road with buffer zones on either side.
As reported by TOI, this stretch is currently used by around 7,000 cars every day. The official informed the news outlet that the department is aware that some areas where the new road joins to the old state highway (SH-118) are vulnerable to accidents.
Therefore, they intend to contract with a private company to construct four-way, T-shaped, and Y-shaped intersections at various locations in order to make these crossings safer. Last week, a tender was released to choose this company, which will also build four bus-only bays alongside the new route.
An activist from Uthiramerur told TOI, “At present, buses stop in the middle of the highway causing not only traffic snarls but also affecting the free movement of other vehicles.”
He went on to say that they are relieved that a tender has finally been issued and hope that it does not become bogged down by land acquisition concerns like previous road projects.
The Uthiramerur bypass road project was first introduced in the state assembly in 2018, during the tenure of Edappadi K Palaniswami as chief minister. There has been no more development since then.
Officials from the highways department further stated around Rs 7 crore of the overall budget had been set aside for the purchase of land from property owners and that compensation payments would be made without delay.
This will be Tamil Nadu’s 17th bypass road project undertaken by the state government this year.
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