Work to widen NH-45A to commence by August.

Work to widen the NH-45A from Villupuram to Nagapattinam via Puducherry and Cuddalore for a length of 183 km is expected to commence by August.

The total project cost would be around ₹4,440 crore and the widening is expected to be completed within 24 months of commencement of work.

The contractors, who have been chosen to execute the work will shortly sign contracts with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Letters of award have been issued to the contractors, who are working on financial closure of projects that would be taken up on hybrid annuity mode, where, if needed up to 40% of the project cost would be borne by the NHAI.

The toll would be collected by the NHAI and the concessionaire would be paid an annuity based on the value of the assets created, said NHAI officials.

“Near 85 km of the 180 km long highway that runs through major towns including Puducherry, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi and Karaikal would be new formations for which land acquisition is nearing completion. Since the existing roads inside the towns are narrow and cannot be widened, new bypasses are to be formed. In another three months, the acquisition is expected to be over,”said an official.

Four lane facility

Since the present NH-45A from Puducherry to Nagapattinam is too narrow and is unable to take the present traffic of around 25,000 - 30,000 passenger car units per day, this widening is necessary, officials said. In 2010, the initial suggestion was to form a two-lane road. But with increase in traffic, the road will now be a four-lane facility with hard shoulders (a breakdown lane where vehicles can stop in case of an emergency).

Apart from cutting down travel time between these towns and reducing accidents, the widened road would also help the ports at Karaikal and Puducherry, apart from the industrial hub at Cuddalore.

Vinoth Chandrasekar, who commutes regularly between Puducherry and Chidambaram, said, “People commute daily for work to places including Cuddalore, Karaikal and Chidambaram from Puducherry. At present it takes four hours to reach Karaikal from Puducherry. It would be good if that is brought down,” he said.

THE HINDU