NHAI awaits funds to complete unfinished works

Unfinished works in the segment of the ring road connecting Asoor near Thuvakudi on Thanjavur Highway and Mathur along Pudukottai National Highway is expected to be taken up for completion by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) after a long gap.

Though the stretch connecting the two national highways has been laid to a major extent, heavy vehicles have been unable to derive utility since works on laying of road at the Asoor entry point and construction of an overbridge at a location closer to Mathur have been left incomplete for years.

According to NHAI sources, a 'balance works' proposal seeking funds has been submitted after the concessionaire had left the works incomplete.

The funds have been sought for carrying out the work under (Design, Built, Finance, Operate & Transfer) pattern under National Highways Development Project - Phase III, it is learnt.

The stretch of ring road, once completed, will be of immense utility to air travellers from delta districts visiting Tiruchi International Airport.

They will be able to save on substantial travel time as the circumlocutory route with heavy traffic congestion could be avoided.

Despite several representations, there has been no progress for long, Mahesh Poyyamozhi, MLA of Tiruverumbur Constituency in which the ring-road stretch falls, lamented.

The construction of the stretch at initial stages suffered delay for a different reason. The State government had ordered stoppage of the work apprehending loss of irrigation water sources.

After the Madras High Court intervened in its favour, the NHAI could resume work on the bypass stretch constructed as part of the the Tiruchi-Karaikudi two-lane project by the concessionaire M/s Transstroy Trichy-Karaikudi Tollways Limited executed at a cost of Rs. 404 crore.

However, Transstroy Ltd-OJSC Consortium, an Indo-Russian joint venture, that had taken up the execution under Build, Operate, Transfer (annuity) scheme,had subsequently expressed inability to complete the unfinished portions of the project.

The unfinished segment connecting Thanjavur highway and Pudukottai highway is part of the semi ring road planned for the city up to Jeeyapuram extending from Mathur to Panjapur along Madurai highway, from there to Pirattiyur along Dindigul highway, and Jeeyapuram on the Karur highway.

Source