In the next ten years, around 2,200-km of State highways connecting district headquarters and taluk headquarters will be converted into four-lane highways and 6,700 kms into two lanes under the Chief Minister’s Road Development Programme. This will be taken up depending upon the traffic density.

In the first phase in the current fiscal, two-lane roads of 250 kms will be converted into four lanes at a cost of ₹2,000 crore and another 600 kms into two-lane roads at a cost of ₹1,200 crore, the government announced in the State Assembly on Friday while presenting the Demands for Grant on the Highways And Minor Ports Department.

Due to the start of the metro work, the collection of toll charges in four toll plazas — at Perungudi on the Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Thoraipakkam, Kalaignar Salai and Medavakkam Salai — will be discontinued from August 30.

The Policy Note

The Highways and Minor Ports Department’s Policy Note for 2021-2022 tabled in the Assembly on Friday stated that considering the increasing vehicular traffic and demands of road users, the State government has developed a long-term vision for the next 10 years.

All State highways fulfilling the traffic intensity would be upgraded to four lanes and all major district roads connecting taluk headquarters, national highways and State highways would be upgraded to two lanes depending on the traffic intensity. Bypasses will be formed for the municipalities along the State Highways to de-congest the traffic and upgradation of Panchayat or Panchayat Union roads is in the offing.

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The government plans to enhance the cargo handling capacity of Tamil Nadu Maritime Board from 1.5 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes. Action will be taken to expedite State Level Projects of the Government of India. This includes the elevated corridor from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal, four-laning of Vikravandi- KumbakonamThanjavur Road, upgradation of the East Coast Road from Chennai to Kanyakumari to four lanes and to build a sea bridge from Chennai Port to Manali-Thiruvottiyur junction to decongest the traffic, the policy note said.

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