Encroachments, mostly houses and petty shops, were demolished on the Tiruvannamalai - Kallakurichi Main Road in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai by the Highways Department on Friday as part of the widening of the stretch into a four-lane route.
Officials of the Highways Department, which maintains the stretch, said that most of the encroachments along the route have been in existence for more than three decades. Notices to vacate the space on both sides of the stretch have been issued. “Once widened, the stretch will ease traffic flow, especially into the temple town, which is witnessing a steady rise in the flow of pilgrims from neighbouring States,” K. Raghuraman, Assistant Director (AD), State Highways (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu.
Formed under the Comprehensive Rural Improvement Development Project (CRMDP) 2023-24, the ₹140 crore (Tiruvannamalai ₹100 crore; Kallakuruchi ₹40 crore) four-lane work covers a distance of 63.3 km. Of this, 41 km of the stretch comes under Kallakurichi whereas 22.3 km falls within Tiruvannamalai limits.
