NH upgradation works in TN will be completed by Dec: Baalu

Tiruchirapalli, Sep 7 (UNI) Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T R Baalu today said the ongoing upgradation works on the National Highways in Tamil Nadu would be completed by December this year.

Addressing a press conference after inspecting the four-laning works here, he said there had been a delay in the four-laning and six-laning works across the country due to various reasons. He would hold a meeting of the officials concerned on September 12 in New Delhi to sort out the issues that led to the delay.

Stating that four-laning works were being carried out on 3,560 KM stretch of the National Highway in the country, he said of the 68,000 KM-long National Highway in India, about 50,000 KM were being upgraded to four-lane and six-lane.

Under the 5,846 KM Golden Quadrilateral Project, only 181 KM stretch of road was left to be completed, he added.

On the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP), only one metre remained to be completed in the 12-metre dredging work.

Mr Baalu said in the Northeast Region, 8,700 KM National Highway would be upgraded to four-lane.

His Ministry also proposed to establish a second Container Terminal at Tuticorin Port at a cost of Rs 498 crore and a similar terminal off Chennai Port at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore, apart from a Rs 1,200 crore Container Terminal at Ennore Port. All these works would be completed in two years' time, he said.

It was proposed to set up a 19.2 km Elevated Highway between the War Memorial in Chennai and Maduravoyal at Rs 500 crore.

A Rs 300 crore multi-purpose miniport at Rameswaram and fishing harbours at Dhanushkodi (Rs 90 crore), Mupperu (Rs 40 crore) and Thonti (Rs 60 crore) were also in the pipeline.

The Ministry was awaiting a detailed project report from Nagapattinam Port Authority for taking up expansion work there, the Minister added.

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