The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has revived the long-pending widening of the narrow and accident-prone Trichy-Karaikudi national highway (NH 336 and 536) passing through Pudukottai district. The land plan schedule (LPS) for the four-laning project, combined with a railway overbridge (RoB) to bypass railway tracks in Pudukottai abutting the highway, will be completed within a month.
Project Details and Elevated Corridors
Two elevated corridors are planned on the highway: one near Mathur on the outskirts of Trichy and another near a railway level crossing on the outskirts of Pudukottai. The narrow highway connects Trichy international airport with Pudukottai and Sivaganga districts, further linking to the Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy temple in Ramanathapuram district. It is listed among the top 100 high-risk highways in the state.
Alignment and Future Plans
The alignment for road widening between Trichy and Karaikudi has been approved. A senior NHAI official stated, "Once the volume of vehicles on the Karaikudi and Rameswaram stretch reaches the desirable level, that stretch will also be widened."
Political and Administrative Review
Trichy MP Durai Vaiko reviewed the need for new RoBs in Pudukottai, part of his parliamentary constituency. He highlighted that the Karuveppilan railway level crossing in Pudukottai leads to vehicular congestion. "A joint meeting with NHAI and Pudukottai district administration was arranged to combine a RoB demand at Karuveppilan railway crossing with the Trichy-Karaikudi NH widening project. The detailed project report (DPR) has been submitted. Stakeholders were urged to expedite land acquisition," MP Vaiko told TOI.
Land Acquisition and Next Steps
The LPS document will serve as a tool for stakeholders to complete land acquisition and commence road widening work, for which a minimum of 90% of land acquisition must be completed. With the alignment finalized, revenue departments of Trichy, Pudukottai, and Sivaganga districts will identify survey numbers needed for the road widening and issue gazette notifications. MP Vaiko added that another pending railway RoB at Thiruvappur in Pudukottai will also be constructed.
