NHAI to implement Pollachi Road widening project.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will execute the works to widen Pollachi – Coimbatore road into a four-lane one.

According to a communication received by the NHAI recently from the Ministry, some projects have been transferred to NHAI for execution, including the Coimbatore-Pollachi road.

The project is to widen the Pollachi-Coimbatore stretch from 26.85 km at a cost of Rs. 500 crore.

The project was initially taken up by the State Highways Department (NH wing).

The letter of agreement has been signed with the contractor after the bids were finalised. The NHAI will now appoint an execution consultant, said an official of the NHAI.

The stretch has a large number of trees and the public had appealed to the district administration to look at options rather than cutting the trees.

Pravin of Pollachi Papyrus said the number of trees that would be brought down would be known only after the survey.

“We need to see how many can be transplanted,” he said. Corporates can adopt trees that can be transplanted. Two groups would be formed – in Coimbatore and Pollachi and a public representative should be present at the site when the trees were cut so that only those trees marked for the project would be brought down, he said.

THE HINDU