Work on the new vehicular subway on the Chennai – Bengaluru Highway (NH 44), which is maintained by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) near the new campus of Christian Medical College (CMC) in Ranipet has begun and traffic on the route has been diverted to the service lane of the stretch. (PHOTOS: ).
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Work on the new vehicular subway on the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 44), which is maintained by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) near the new campus of Christian Medical College (CMC) in Ranipet, has begun and traffic on the route has been diverted to the service lane of the stretch.
NHAI officials said that ₹22 crore subway is being built at Puttuthakku, a border village on the highway connecting Vellore with Ranipet district. Puttuthakku village is one of the ‘black spots’ within Ranipet limits on the highway. These black spots are accident prone spots that are based on reports given by the police to the district administration.
“Alternative traffic arrangements on the highway will be in place at least upto mid-2025 to complete the subway work,” a NHAI official told The Hindu.
As per design, the new subway will accommodate two-wheelers, cars and autorickshaws. Such an arrangement will help to reduce the total number of the existing U-turn spots on the stretch to prevent accidents. The stretch has a few government schools, primary healthcare centres and car service centres. “The Puttuthakku junction also has bus stops on both sides of the highway where apart from locals, visitors to CMC also board buses there. The new subway will help us to cross the busy highway safely,” said B. Vinoth, a commuter.
Apart from students, office goers, farmers, and lorries and truck drivers use these U turns to drive on the highway from the service lane. This has affected the free flow of traffic on the highway and also resulted in frequent accidents, especially during rush hour. Currently, the stretch between CMC at Puttuthakku village in Ranipet and Vellore Collectorate, a distance of at least 15 km, does not have an U turn for lorries, trucks and buses. Officials said the new subway will end this problem.
NHAI officials also said at present the highway between Krishnagiri and Walajapet (Ranipet district), a distance of 148 km, is maintained by L&T on behalf of NHAI on a 30-year agreement for maintenance. The agreement was made a decade ago.
Currently, the highway is being given a facelift like fresh coat of bitumen, new bus shelters and subways between Vellore and Ranipet that has many habitations along the highway. Old bus bays are being readied between Ranipet and Krishnagiri on the service lanes of the highway to decongest its carriageway. All mofussil and town buses will halt on the service lane of the highway rather than on its carriageway, which is being done now, to prevent accidents and traffic congestion on the route, NHAI officials said.
Published – October 10, 2024 11:12 pm IST