Widening of four-lane section of NH4 shortly.

Widening of the four-lane Poonamallee-Walajapet section of Chennai-Bangalore Highway (NH4) into a six-lane stretch will begin soon.

The 93-km stretch will be widened at a cost of Rs. 1,500 crore. It will have 10 flyovers, 22 pedestrian subways and 15 vehicular subways, said an official of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

'The contractor will form service lanes first so traffic is not affected during the expansion work,' the official said.

Though the work was to begin in June 2013, the contractor was unable to pay the quoted toll collection amount then. Widening of the 146-km stretch from Krishnagiri to Walajapet, at a cost of Rs. 1,370 crore, is nearing completion. Work on the Hosur-Krishnagiri stretch is expected to be completed in three months.

Meanwhile, truckers complain the contractor has been collecting exorbitant toll even before completion of six-laning works.


THE HINDU