Over 95.75% work of widening Chennai-Tada National Highway into a six-lane facility has been completed, and the contractor recently commenced work on 1.4 km stretch of the remaining road. According to sources in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the contractor is yet to complete the construction of two structures — a light vehicular underpass (LVUP) and a pedestrian underpass.
The cost of construction of these structures will be ₹295.97 crore, and the work, according to the new terms and conditions, has to be finished by January 2025. The two approaches at the LVUP have to be completed and both the facilities have to be widened to suit the width of the carriageway.
“The contractor had raised objections that the rates of materials had gone up and that he could not afford to complete the construction at those rates. He sought an increase in the money allocation. The NHAI agreed to pay him the difference in the rates after reducing the old amount. He has now resumed the work after arriving at a settlement with the NHAI,” explained sources.
Karanodai river bridge
Recently, the contractor completed the work at the river bridge at Karanodai and it has been opened for traffic. The delay in connecting the bridge with the other side was caused by issues pertaining to land acquisition.
Baskar, a resident of Janapanchatram, said there has been some relief for the traffic flow since the Karanodai bridge work got completed. “We used to have traffic snarls daily before that. The NHAI should take up the re-laying work of the entire Chennai-Tada Road and not just repair it in patches. Places including Kavarapattai and the toll plaza need effective repairs. Motorists keep complaining that they pay toll for a bad road,” he said.
