Five new NHAI road projects worth Rs 2,000 crore for Tamil Nadu

TIRUCHIRAPALLI: Five new National Highways Authority of India road projects have been awarded to Tamil Nadu at an estimated cost of over Rs 2,000 crore and these projects would drive the state into a new growth trajectory, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan has said.

The projects are expected to cover over 400 km, he said and sought the state government's support in executing them. The Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, was speaking at a meeting organised by the NHAI to highlight the achievements of the one year rule of the central government here yesterday.

Radhakrishnan said the 32-km-long Avinashi-Tiruppur-Avinashipalayam road sector had been declared as a national highway. The cumulative length of the national highways in Tamil Nadu was a little over 5000 km.

Pointing out the importance of NH projects in the state, Radhakrishnan said despite the national highways in Tamil Nadu making up for only two per cent of the total length of the roads in India, they accounted for 40 per cent of the traffic.

He also released a booklet on the National Highways in Tamil Nadu brought out by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and NHAI.