Chennai, Aug. 27:
Tamil Nadu Highways Minister Aadhav Arjuna on Thursday said the Centre is prepared to support road projects worth ₹2 lakh crore over the next five years, while announcing that railway overbridges, ring roads and key highways would be prioritised to address growing traffic congestion across the State.
Responding to questions in the Assembly, Arjuna said he had personally taken up Tamil Nadu’s road requirements with the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister. The Centre has also assured that the Central Road Fund allocation for Tamil Nadu would be increased to ₹1,000 crore, he said.
The Minister said railway overbridges would be taken up as a priority in several districts where people are forced to wait for long periods at level crossings. The problem has been reported particularly in the Delta districts and Pudukkottai, besides other parts of the State. Department-level studies have already been undertaken and details would be announced soon.
Arjuna also said the government would address the long-standing demand for ring roads in several locations. Improving connectivity around Chennai would receive particular attention, given the severe congestion on roads entering the city.
The Minister said the government has announced plans to develop an eight-lane road from Chennai to Kanyakumari, describing it as a long-term solution to Tamil Nadu’s growing transportation needs. Discussions on the proposal have also been held with the Union Government, he said.
Highlighting the extent of congestion, Arjuna said the journey from Tiruchirappalli to Chengalpattu can take around four hours, while the Chengalpattu-Chennai stretch alone can take nearly three hours. Similarly, motorists can reach Tiruvallur from Bengaluru in about three hours but may need another three hours to enter Chennai. The Mahabalipuram-Chennai stretch also faces severe congestion, he noted.
Tambaram-Chengalpattu corridor
Former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami raised the issue of the proposed elevated corridor between Tambaram and Chengalpattu, saying the project had been approved during the previous AIADMK regime but was subsequently put on hold.
Arjuna said the government was examining ways to address the congestion on the Chennai-Chengalpattu corridor as part of its broader road development strategy.
The Minister’s announcement comes against the backdrop of Tamil Nadu’s larger Vision 2035 road development plan, which envisages a 4,543.5-km road network at an estimated cost of ₹1.37 lakh crore, alongside NHAI plans to invest more than ₹1 lakh crore in expanding the State’s national highway network.
Arjuna said removing administrative and implementation hurdles would enable Tamil Nadu to secure a larger share of Central funding and accelerate major road projects across the State.